DJ was in a pure dilemma now that the main purpose of the longest journey to Malia was glaring in his face. The boy was distressed like he used to be in such situations, the anxiety that had left him for a while was back, nagging at his brainstrings and pulling them to their own desires.

The young detective had almost forgotten about the real deal of coming to Malia. Trips to small surrounding villages, the hustle and bustle of the excitement for the upcoming festival, and the change of environment from all dangerous and commanding to much more relaxed and calm made him forget the fact that his life was at risk.

It was all flowers and giggles until they lasted, until the anonymous caller had served him his reasons for which he had come to Malia. The caller claimed Jerry’s wellbeing yet he had thrusted the boy into one of the most dangerous circumstances where he had to come across Chevy one way or the other.

DJ wasn’t really sure whether to think of the situation as a ‘well-being’ or a revenge that had been planned for him for whatever reasons.  

Tears pricked his eyes and he wiped them aggressively as he packed his minimal belongings in his bag. The boy was devastated with his situation and although Jerry didn’t know what was coming in his way but being the scaredy cat he was; the young detective was scared shitless.

After mapping out his plan to reach the location, DJ checked out the inn with his newly made wealth and his other belongings.

The first stop he decided was a run-down, rackety structure of a building. The old structure looked unfinished only it wasn’t unfinished but was wrecked badly by local gangs against a feud between them.

The purpose of stopping there was to acquire something that DJ would be needing in future. The young detective stood in the centre of the grey structure and waited intending to procure a lethal weapon that could serve good than his good old, rusty dagger attached to his hip.

A dealer, whom Jerry got to know about from sources he had made in Malia, was ready to provide the old Alberto with an old-fashioned, thinly made, black and brown revolver.

Jerry had discerned the fact that a small dagger wouldn’t be of much help if the situation, according to him, didn’t go as planned. He needed some kind of surety before he stepped inside the territory even Malians were terrified to trespass.

As he watched in the distance with his mind playing several scenarios, his sight was filled with a figure that was far away but was approaching him slowly. DJ watched in anticipation, he could feel a sense of daring and borderline badass erupting in his stomach for a split second.

But at the same time, his heart was going feral in the presence of a potentially strong and dangerous man who was going to converse with him.

“Alberto?” the man asked snatching DJ from his raging mind. He securitized the old man’s frame up and down as if trying to find something that was perhaps odd.

DJ nodded his head in affirmation.

“did ya bring my money pal?” the man asked looking deeply into those innocent doe eyes behind the prescription glasses.

“d-did yo-you bring wh-what I had as-asked for?” Jerry questioned instead, making himself sound rude and old. He tried to compose his laboured breathing behind his disguise as he portrayed a character that was confident and ready to deal.

The man chuckled with a smirky face as he pulled out a red-coloured sack from behind his back. He switched it between his hands, purposely waving it in front of Alberto.

“I did…….” The man sang. DJ reached his hand out for the sack but the man pulled it back with another unamused chuckle.

“my money first” he said and DJ rolled his eyes internally.

As DJ was getting money from his bag, the man carefully observed the old man in his sight. He also glanced at the bag filled with jewellery packed in small clear packets making him conclude the old man was a business guy of sorts, an ordinary merchant.

But then, what did he need a revolver for?

“he-here is you-ur m-money” the boy announced as he lightly threw a small pouch towards the man. the other jumped at the bag greedily and opened it, nearly sniffing the money through his nose.

DJ pointed at the gun, splaying his tiny hand making the other smirk wider.

“old buddy you, playful aye?” he commented with a disgustingly large smile as he pulled out the revolver from the sack. DJ ignored his comment and waited for the time he would be granted his purchase.

“M-my gun?” he insisted a little gruffly and only god knows how he managed it.

“alright alright……you honest man……here ya go,” the man said, reducing the distance between them as he held onto Alberto’s tiny hand. DJ held his breath for the longest time when the man placed the gun in his palm and then closed his fist around the weapon before stepping back.

“What?.....checkout your deal. Imma honest too” the man joked with a cackle when Jerry kept staring at the man with what looked like a glare but was shocked and fearful behind those dark orbs.

The boy didn’t immediately jump to check the weapon. Instead, he took his time. He pulled out the ancient-looking revolver and examined it with unsure eyes, flipping it up and down.

Just like his so-called professional profession of being a detective, Jerry didn’t possess much knowledge about weapons let alone their proper use. After giving the object in his hand more than necessary time, DJ raised his eyes and locked it with the man’s awaiting ones. And then he nodded his head curtly.

The man grinned widely.

“nice business oldie……..not many people pay for the shit they buy. I could be as good as dead if it was someone else” the man ranted and DJ wondered whether he was being warned or complimented.

“tell me more deals like this………will provide you the best” the man said and with that he pivoted on his heels, clutching the money bag under his arms, and returned to where he came from.

Leaving a more concerned Jerry behind.

He stood behind a thick bunch of trees, hunched over and hidden from wandering eyes. It wasn’t long ago that the boy reached his destination after asking directions from different people and getting weird looks from those who were asked. They weren’t to be blamed, of course, the place he asked about was dangerous.

The sacred territory of Chevy and his dogs which no one was allowed to trespass.

There in front of him was the humble abode of the notorious criminal and gang leader Chevy. The old cottage that belonged to that said man stood surrounded by thick forest. There were crickets and whatnot that flew in the air, bumping with each other and then flying their way. It was lit with fire lamps around it and a huge bonfire right in the front yard of the building.

Many men, half-naked or fully clothed, danced around the fire as they drank from their cups. A series of folk songs filled the atmosphere while the large fire ticked tiny sparks in the air. All those sweaty, drunk people seemed pretty out of their minds, happily swaying here and there and laughing obnoxiously at each other.

Probably the festival spirits reached them too.

Suddenly, a buzz of a device resounded in his satchel and Jerry jumped at his place. Like a deer caught in a headlight, the boy’s eyes widened and he stood frozen for a second long before discerning the fact that his phone was vibrating.

Quickly fishing it out, he scrunched his brows after seeing the unknown caller blaring on the light blue screen of the small phone.

“h-hello” the boy started with a muffled voice as he stepped back a little.

“you okay?” the first thing dropped in his ear was a concern about him, making the boy kind of relaxed. He breathed in slowly filling his lungs with necessary oxygen, now realizing that he was holding his breath for a long time.

“I-I am ok-okay” he said and heard a familiar sigh on the other side. Then they both went quiet for a while. DJ sensed the man moving up some stairs and then speed-walking through long corridors before he heard a door slammed shut behind the phone.

“That’s good…that’s good…” the man heaved in his speaker. DJ prepared himself to hear the new set of instructions as he fixed his eyes on the drunken men and his ears fixed on the caller’s voice.

“Now, all you have to do is to go inside the cottage, locate Yael and then get him out of there” the man instructed the basic plan and the detective slowly peeled his eyes away from Chevy’s men as he pulled his phone away from his ear to look at it incredulously as if he was looking straight at that stupid man on the other end.

“Hello?” he heard the caller yelling through the device.

“y-you think I-I don’t kn-know w-what I am he-here for? It’s-It’s the ques-estion that h-how am I-I going to do-do this. There ar-are lots o-of people he-here a-and th-they a-are sca-scary” DJ grumbled in a mumble-like voice trying not to spit through his words how ridiculously stupid the other sounded.

“I know boy…….but you are a professional detective. Use your talent to your best benefit, you can do it I know that” the caller cheered him up but the boy was dejected. He sighed loudly tired of the bullshit around.

Being a detective like him wasn’t a talent at all and upon that, the boy felt his detective skills getting rusty as time passed by.

He was far better when dealing with small cases and eating an apple a day. The life of wealth, luxury and connections is restless and demanding and he has learned this after he dug himself deep in the shit.

“y-you are no fu-fucking h-help Mr” he spat frustrated. Just then a roar of happy applause and hooting started between the people at the bonfire. A sturdy man, a good six feet tall, half naked and oil-skinned with a buzz cut hair stood in the centre of the crowd and raised his voice in some kind of sloganeer which erupted another roar of wild laughter from the people around.

‘That must be Chevy’ DJ thought.

 “don’t curse boy it’s not good. Now listen up…….when you take Yael out from his cell…….travel towards the east. You will find help there. Now go and succeed” With that said the phone was cut.

DJ cried out of frustration under his breath as he pocketed his small phone. Staring at Chevy, he could already imagine his doom from that man’s bloody hands.

Why was he stuck in such a situation?

With whatever common sense left in him, the boy stepped back slowly until he was completely out of sight before he made his way towards the back side of the location. There was no way of entry from the front even if he worked covertly, those men were going to get him nonetheless.

Upon reaching the back, DJ straight away noticed the quietness and the darkness around the place. No lights were illuminating the back side of the cottage and the voices of the singers were low as well. In DJ’s opinion, Lord Yael’s security was questionable because no one in sight should be guarding the rear of the building.

It isn’t his concern anyway, makes his work easier.

There was a back deck, ruined and completely empty of anything, connected to a door beside two boarded-up windows. The door looked crooked like it was broken from the hinges. DJ stared at it for a few minutes while hiding behind a tree, he took a quick glance around to find anyone lurking who could prove to be a danger but no one was there, the coast was clear.

This is it…..the reality. There is no going back now, there is no going anywhere because of the situation he was in.

Jerry then readied himself for the biggest adventure of his life he had come across. He closed his eyes and prayed to his God for his safety before coming out of his hiding spot. He tiptoed towards the door, sighed and opened it with a creak.

Peeking inside, a long hallway, dark and empty welcomed the detective. The boy stepped inside scared with his heart in his hands and slowly closed the door behind him before he ventured forward.

 The cottage was small but enough to home a bunch of people at once. Dark and chipped walls, crooked door knobs, plucked floor boards that produced noise underweight. The place was littered with empty alcohol bottles, some furniture here and there and other unnecessary stuff.

DJ progressed ahead into the hallway until he came across a doorway without a door that led stairs down into the basement. The boy looked around, singing and howling still loud in his ears, and then quickly made his way towards the stairs.

Somehow, he knew the man he was searching for would be down there.

Nervousness was gnawing at him once again, a cold press of metal against his hip was the only courage he had to proceed. Descending the stairs, the boy knocked down a big box in his way which went down with a thud. He shushed himself angrily and slapped his nape before continuing downstairs.

Upon reaching the last step, he felt nauseous seeing a series of box-sized prison cells lined up on both sides of the hallway. A feeling of utter suffocation morphed his facial features into pure discomfort as he moved forward with a sole purpose in his mind.

Lord Yael

He looked around, and ducked down, as he moved until he heard a swift movement or a small sound coming from the last cell.

Someone was there, and before he could ask, a dominant voice called out in his direction.

“Who is there?” the voice asked and DJ was sure that nobody, other than the man he was here for, possessed such a booming and powerful voice. A spark of joy and a sense of accomplishment came crashing at his chest and the boy beamed with teary eyes.

“L-lord” he whispered.

Slowly, the boy paced closer to the cell he had heard the voice from. Small, hesitant steps closed the distance until he saw the inside of the cell. A dark room with an abandoned chair but no one in sight.

“Lo-lord?” a small whisper Jerry uttered as he looked around, eyes desperate to find the man. But the wait was over soon. In his sight came a tall, few inches over Chevy in comparison, golden-skinned and very strongly built yet dishevelled man that DJ had to tip his chin up to look at those daunting, glaring dark eyes.

Lord Yael

The boy had never imagined to face the lord he had only heard about in his life. Now that he had the chance, he was awestruck with that man’s aura. Yael stood in front of him, filling the length of the cell, with questioning eyes and a frown resting over his features.

“Who are you?” Yael asked. The caged man was sceptical after seeing that small old man who was looking at him resembling a child and wasn’t speaking anything. He imagined him to be a rescuer like he had seen previously but after carefully examining the old man, Yael was having second thoughts.

On the other hand, DJ felt a jolt of realization that he had been staring at the man with his mouth hung open and eyes bulging wide. An embarrassed blush crept up his neck and onto his cheeks and the boy looked down for a second.

Collecting himself, Jerry was ready to say who he was and what he was doing here, but then a small movement of someone’s feet was heard above them and they were quite like mice.

“oh! Look who we have here…..another warrior of Ezekiel”

...

toodles ~