BFFs

XIV

That fat man came close to us and glared at Jack.

"Who the hell are you boy?"

"Steve, and you?" Jack said casually

And then I could see that man's glare getting replaced with anger. Oh I know what you're doing Jack, making him angry wow! Please note my sarcasm. What is wrong with him? Why is that he making him angry?

"What'd you say? You don't know me! Out with it! From which gang you are from? " He spat

"What gang? Me and my babe came here to try my luck and I seem to be very lucky!" Jack said

He called me babe, whatever! As if it bothered me at all. Huh not at all why would it matter if he calls me Babe or Edla?! It is just a four letter word like my name itself, it is not something different just babe. I don't car- wait wait!

"Just don't play again! It's my casino, dont'cha know it? No one wins against me like that, And nice piece you have here" he said

Jack came in front of me fully, I could hear my heart beating. He just said he was the Owner, maybe that's why he came front. Don't over think Edla!  They were arguing in a loud noise and then the Owner held Jack's collar and he also held his collar. I got ready, I don't know for what but just precautionary steps ahead to calm Jack by putting a hand on his shoulders.

Jack's body tense up to my touch but eventually he left his collar. I don't know what happened, but Jack turned around and looked up to me. I could feel my hands sweaty as he took one in his looking directly into my eyes. I didn't know what to react or what to feel, he lead me. He's not my type! He's not my type! He's not my type! He's not my type! He's not my type! I kept chanting this in my head but couldn't register it.

We went to second floor and there I saw a Restricted Area, wondering why did we come here but then I saw posters all around.

Richard Nixon Missing

Iris Murdoch SOLD

Terry Gilliam Missing

....
Many posters with bold writings and their pictures, and my heart broke when I saw that some posters had price written under the picture. It could be me, it could be someone I know and then realisation dawned on me 'Rikki' was one of them. I couldn't be more determined to help him in all ways possible.

"Edla I can't leave you here, I can't take you inside. I don't know what to do" Jack said stopping right front of the gate

"Jack... tell me what happened there?"

His jaw tightened " He was just trying to push me to truth but I didn't. He isn't the Man we're searching he's just a medium. He told me that once someone is sold we cannot buy him or her or free them, he said it's next to impossible but we can still talk to the one to whom they're you know..." he stopped

"Sold, to whom they're sold" I completed

I couldn't understand, what is this business? Why would people do this, what would they get from it!! Money for a whole human being? I felt my eyes stung with the less possibility of saving Rikki or anyone in this case. Jack noticed my tears and sat beside me, he didn't spoke anything and maybe silence was what I needed to clear my mind.

"I'm coming with you, or I'm going myself because Jack you weren't supposed to get involved in all of this shit. I mean it was all mine since the beginning but look how I pushed our luck and put you into trouble too. I'm sorry from no-

He hugged me, I did too I don't know why I did and to be honest I don't want to know. I was already crying but now I cried even more. All the bottled up sadness was needed to be freed. Everything. I cried remembering my parents, my father who never saw me after that fair, did he ever go to any fair at all after that? Would he tear up like me? I cried cursing that Peter who left Debbie and went away and gave her no reason to think about him.

I kept crying for all those lost, missed and SOLD. What would they live for? For whom to be precise? Jack hugged even tighter when his shirt got all wet. I couldn't care less about the place we are at, I was this tough persona all the time hiding every little thing that bothers me but now its the real me. Edla Sentimental Wilson.

"It's okay to show who the real side sometimes" he spoke

Oh great! Did I just spoke my mind just now? Oh no

"No you didn't talk your mind earlier I just understood but now you did" he laughed a little

I noticed his eyes crinkle a lot when he smiled. Wow Sherlock Edla! Everyone's eyes crinkle when they smile duh!

"Even though it's not my problem but I want to help you, help him and make sure you don't mess up"

"Why do think I would mess up?"
"Because of the other Edla"

Before I could ask what he meant we entered the restricted area. I was confused to why this restricted place didn't had any guards. He had a key, okay maybe that's why we entered without any hassle. Did that fat guy give him the key? Why would he? Oh I'm so confused. Then he check into the computer system and typing, thinking about something. Then he opened a drawer and he started searching something.

That drawer had many CDs and he pulled the fat Volume and it had SOLD written on it with red ink. He entered that CD in the computer and then we waited till got processed. I was worried about someone breaking in here while we are at it but it was locked from inside. Then there was a sound, I saw at the screen there was a huge list of people with their photos and many information about them.

Typing.... Rikki

Not found

What? How come not found? We both looked at each other, he asked if I knew any of his other name or at least his last name but I couldn't remember. Then the only option we had was to skim through the list of these whole lot people and then find Rikki's picture icon. We went skimming through the list, there were many guys who looked like him and then suddenly I saw someone who looked exactly like Rikki but had Blonde hair.

"What if they had changed his name and details before the deal?" He said

I nodded and then he took out his Hard drive and copied the detail of Rickman, who was by the way Rikki but with blonde hair. It was done, Rikki's details were copied but Jack seemed to make no move at all. I looked at him with a questioning look, then he pressed Ctrl+A and he copied all the data.

"I can't help but think what would they give up just to get a chance. We can try"

He was right, it'll take a lot of time and effort maybe we wouldn't be able to do it but we need to try. After a whole hour we stood up and get all our belongings. We just went out without a care, when we were climbing down the crowd has lessened and I was afraid of being discovered by any of 'his' men. Jack threw the key secretly and the same fat guy caught it.