The boys were immediately overwhelmed by the smell of unwashed bodies and smoke, not all that different from the bar that they just observed.
The bouncer, a stocky, well muscled man, that the body structure of a Neanderthal and looked about as smart as one too, held out his hand like an usher at a wedding. He smiled at Stephen and Sam with a wolf-like grin, and stared at them with an unintelligent gaze.
"You two can enter." He smirked with his false welcoming gaze.
Stephen attempted to nod politely, as he knew what could (and would) happen if a man of Neanderthal intelligence went into a rage and got ahold of a weapon, and it was relatively gory and never comfortable.
Stephen stepped into the underground complex-like room and turned his head to Sam, to see if he was following. Sam took a deep breath, and stepped into the cellar of sin, calmly ignoring the bouncers dim smile and almost inaudible chuckle. The bouncer shut the door behind him.
Stephen nodded an unspoken message of warning to his friend to which Sam nodded in response. Stephen then turned his head back to the hallway ahead of them, and the two boys put on their meanest faces and with false bravado, started walking.
Stephen reached the end of the hallway with Sam right behind him. A door to their right vainly muffled music like the drums of a legion of hell as the villagers flee and fruitlessly attempt to escape in terror as they watch their kin be slaughtered like sheep, the two boys stepped into the room and their senses were immediately under bombardment.
The sent of gun powder and sweat clung to their unwilling nostrils like monkeys cling to trees. They were temporarily blinded by the bright green and blue flashing of strobe lights, and they were nearly deafened by the volume of the music, screaming and white noise flooded their ear drums.
Stephen grunted under the strain brought by the force of his now hostile forces. He rubbed his eyes and grimaced, and he then turned back to Sam to he how he was fairing with the destruction of his retinas and ear drums. Sam nearly grimaced and shook his head. Stephen the nodded and turned his head to the room, which at one point, could have been kennels for dogs or any other animal that might have resided in this area of Dusklund.
Stephen felt a knot form in his stomach from the feeling of anxiety and imminent danger this place seemed to radiate.
The black market in this particular den was set up in similarity to a grocery store, however it only had one isle, and you bought whatever you wanted where you found it.
Without looking behind him, Stephen started walking down the isle. His eyes rebelliously wandered from stand to stand. There were racks of guns and ammunition in semi opened crates.
There were syringes filled with a sinister black liquid that seemed to have speckled white specks that looked similar to stars in the night sky, with a shady looking man who leaned on his table nonchalantly, his viper-like eyes followed the two boys like a wolf when he stalks sheep.
There were naked women of ages from anywhere between 13 and 18 chained to walls to act like slaves, to whatever low-life, desperate, scoundrel could pay for them.
It made Stephen and Sam sick, made them want to collapse this den of thieves and everyone in it with a fiery rage. But they knew that they had little chance of success. Currently.
Stephen walked to the very end of the isle and looked at the man behind a table cluttered with various electrical parts and sheets of metal. He was scrawny, and fragile looking, but his eyes held a cold and calculating intelligence of a predator. So the two boys were on their guard even more-so than usual while in his presence.
Stephen rested his weight on his hands on the table, and looked the bird-like man directly in his eyes. The dealer wasn't phased by Stephen's gaze, and glared back with the same amount of intensity and hostility.
"Can I help you?" He hissed over the blaring of the music. Stephen nodded promptly, and signaled with the flick of his wrist for Sam to join them. Stephen didn't hear him approach, so much as he sensed it.
Stephen wasted no time on formalities, "Do you have my order." He asked cautiously. The bird-like man didn't break stride. "That depends on if you have the cash." He said flatly.
Stephen grunted and held out his hand to Sam, motioning for him to hand him the coin purse.
Sam briskly dug his hands into the pocket of his chaps and after a brief delay, pulled it out of his pocket and placed it onto Stephen's outstretched hand.
Stephen's fingers closed around the small bag of money like a snakes jaw to its victims throat. Stephen then tossed the bag onto the table which landed with a silent thump over the sheer loudness of the music. The dealer nodded and took it in his hand. He then turned around, and dug through a metal chest that seemed to contain all of his sellable goods and money he collected.
He searched and found it shortly, pulling it out of the chest and carefully placing it on the table. Without meeting his eyes, Stephen took the bag and held it in his right arm.
The two boys then turned around and walked down the isle, eyes unintentionally brushing over everything item and stand.
Stephen and Sam walked side by side until they reached the primary entrance to the black market. The Neanderthal smiled at them stupidly, and then went about unlocking all the locks and dead bolts as Stephen and Sam waited patiently in silence. Their ears still ringing from the intense music, and various shapes danced around their vision from their burnt retinas.
The bouncer opened the door, and the two boys stepped out into the night. The cool air and rain was a refreshment gratefully received.
