The Billionaire's Secret System

Four: At The Mercy Of Don

The Don. Leader of deadly scavengers that'll kill for thirst.

They don’t say his name out loud in the lower districts. Not if they still want to survive another day. Or sleep through the night.

They call him “The Don.”

He’s huge— not the soft, padded kind of big that comes from rich food and no work, but the dense, heavy kind that comes from years of violence and muscle that was built lifting, dragging, breaking. 

When he walks into a room, people don’t look him in the eye. They look at the floor, at the door, at anywhere that isn’t him.

His tattoos are like a map on his skin. Black and red tattoos coil around his arms and neck like serpents.

The Don doesn't rule with a crown on his head. He rules with control. An ultimate power that bends his subject to his will.

The underworld literally belongs to him.

It's not like the glamorous casinos and penthouses in the city. But the back alleys, the abandoned warehouses, the black markets that runs through routes in the sewage tunnels.

He is the leader of scavengers. Men and women who do dirty work.

Some say their shadow fighters, because where they hunt is never known. 

But his hunters are the wealthiest. Some even have companies of their own.

One would wonder why Don choose to remain in a slum such as this? With all that money, he should have a life in the main city.

“You have the balls to come to my territory after running away with your debt? You got nerves young man, I'll give you that." Don said to Nathan, who was standing before him.

He doesn't raise his voice. He doesn't need to. When he speaks, it's usually low and slow. Choosing each word carefully.

He had two women by his side, pecking and fondling with his body.

“Why have you come Nathan? Because I know for certain that you don't have my money.”

“I don't have your money.” He rephrased the lines like they were meant to mean something. “But I'm here to work for you. To repay back.”

“Ha ha ha ha!” Don bursted out into laughter.

“You work for me?” He questioned and laughed again.

“Just in case you've forgotten, I offered you this same job and you turned it down before. Aren't you still too scared to kill?" He asked.

“I'm not scared anymore. Please let me work for you.” Nathan kneels. 

“I should be ordering my men to slit your throat right now. Or even hang you on a pole for ravens to feast. I should shoot you with my gun and blow you're brains out. But I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself.”

“Thank you very much Don. I swear I won't let you down.” Nathan hits his head on the floor severally.

“Of course! You won't. You'll probably die in the first raid anyway.” Don mocked.

“Falk! That him to his room. He'll join the next raid tonight.”

Nathan raised his head when he heard the command. He gets to have his own room.

He was excited, but tried not to smile it out.

Perhaps, his life is taking a different turn. Maybe he's life isn't always bad luck after all.

He followed the man called Falk pass a lobby and then to a door just at the corner.

Falk pointed at the door and left Nathan a message. “When you here the bell, assemble before Don.” 

Nathan nodded forward and walked into the room.

He closed his nose as soon as he entered, because the room was stuffy. Messed up by rotten junks and dirty clothes that laid everyone.

He irked and walked in properly.

The room wasn't that big, but it was okay for a single person.

It had a bed on a wooden frame and a small TV like in the 1990's.

Nathan chuckled on seeing the TV. 

“How old is this room?” he asked himself.

He goes to touch it and even lift it. He wonders if it even works.

He drew the curtain from the window to give the room light as it was dim.

Nathan heaved a sigh of relief and went to sit on the bed.

A cream sound from the wood underneath the bed. It was a breaking sound.

“Fuck! Everything here is old.” He complained.

A door creaks open from the side of the wall in the room.

Nathan stood up in alert.

A young man about his age walked out of the door.

“Ahh!!!” They both chorused on seeing one another.

Nathan closed his eyes and the stranger covered his d*ck with his palms for he was naked.

He had just finished taking his bath and is surprised to see a new face in the room.

“Hey! Wait a sec. You must be my new roommate right?" The naked man asked.

“Uh...I wasn't expecting anyone in the room.” Nathan admitted.

“Its okay, you can look at me. We're men remember?” The stranger said to Nathan.

“Oh!” Nathan said, faking a smile and scratching his head. 

That's his first time he had seen a naked man other than himself. It felt weird.

“I'm Malik.” He stretched his hand for a shake.

“Nice to meet you Malik. I'm Nathan.” He spoke calmly.

“OMG! You know what this means right? We get to be partners!” he sounded excited. Maybe too excited.

“Partners?” Nathan echoed, looking confused.

“Usually, your roommate becomes your pair in the field. They're to have each other's back in each raid.” He explained.

“Oh..." Nathan muttered. Still confused.

“Do worry, I'll tell you everything you need to know.” Malik said while picking up his cloth from a basket.

“You know. My initial roommate rejected me. Said I wasn't fit to watch his back.” He spat. Looking angry about it.

Nathan rolled his eyes, what he needed was to rest his head from the trouble of the day. But Malik kept buffering words he wasn't interested in.

“Bro---you're drenched.” He finally said something reasonable.

“Go change in the bathroom and come get clothes from me.”

Nathan stood up from the bed and began dragging his feet to the bathroom. 

The bell began to ring suddenly. It was loud and continuous.

“Fuck!” Malik cussed. “Hurry. Else we'll face penalties. Hurry!" He sounded the warning to Nathan.