◀AT SOBEK'S MERCY▶

Pt. 3 - A New Opportunity

The streetlights and bright neon signs reflected off the wet asphalt and puddles around the parking lot, bathing the scrapyard in a vibrant glow of pink and blue. Rain was dripping in cold, little needles, telling of a heavier downpour's passing. Hantei and Knocker made their way to the edge of the parking lot, where the two others were already waiting. Mallard, sitting on an upside-down crate and Rodent, leaning against the hood of a broken-down car with crossed arms.

"About time", Rodent said, glancing over at the two late arrivals. His eyebrows raised slightly as he saw Hantei with his new jacket. "Hm. Would you look at that. Wouldn't have expected you to pull that off, but it kind of fits." Hantei wasn't sure whether to take that as an insult or a compliment. He was grateful for the dark, as he could feel a slight warmth seeping into his cheeks. Why did such a backhanded comment make him feel like this? Why was he blushing? Sure, he wasn't used to compliments, but why Rodent?

"So, where are we going, exactly?" Mallard asked Rodent, standing up off the crate. "We have a meeting with Preepsi execs at Afterlife. They didn't tell me anything yet. They'll give us the details once we get there. Make sure you don't make an ass out of yourself", Rodent added at the end, shooting another look at Hantei. Hantei blinked back at him, trying not to seem fazed.

"Oh, right... Jailbait left me these. She told me to give them to you", Mallard said, breaking the sliver of tension sparking between the two. She stepped closer and handed over two pistols. He recognised them as the pair they'd taken off the gang that previously inhabited the warehouse. They were old and clunky, but better than nothing, he supposed. They felt heavy in his hand, a reminder of the kind of danger they were in. How easily everything could be ruined in moments.

No. Hantei tightened his grip. He had to do this.

"Let's go, then." Rodent straightened up and brushed his hands over the backs of his thighs, dusting off whatever was sticking to the black fabric from the car's hood. He signalled for them to get moving and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Come on. We don't want to be late." 

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The deep thumping of loud bass music from the various bars and clubs along set the pace for the group's footsteps as they followed Rodent through the littered streets. Despite the rain still dripping only in small droplets, they were still getting rather soaked on the way. 

As the group finally walked in through the doors to Afterlife, they brought in a small puddle along the way. Rodent, now looking a little more like a wet rat, tried to brush some of the water out of his hair and Hantei tried to wipe the droplets from his glasses, his wet sleeve not doing much to help.

Rodent looked around and pointed to a table a little further inside the bar where three people were sitting. Two women, one man. They noticed the group looking at them, and met their eyes without moving. "There they are. Come on", Rodent told them, making his way to the table, everyone else following behind.

"Oh, hello! You're just on time. Please, take a seat", the man spoke, gesturing to the chairs around the table. They creaked on the floor as everyone sat down. Everyone except Hantei. He kept standing, eyeing the trio with a guarded stance, trying to put forth a confident and assertive image. One of the women raised her eyebrows slightly, intrigued, but Rodent wasn't having it.

"Sit down, why don't you", he hissed at him, yanking him into the chair next to him by his wrist. Hantei tried to pull free from his grip, but Rodent wasn't letting go. He sighed and leaned back in the chair, his eyes still keeping an air of reluctance. The woman studied him curiously for a moment, then looked back to the man as he whispered something to her. She responded with a nod, looking at the group again with a hint of curiosity.