The Less Fortunate Ones (Jake Muller x Reader)

Chapter VI

Year: 2007

Age: 13

Country of Edonia

"Next Friday, we're going to meet up with the man I spoke with. He's going to take us to the leader of the Liberation Army's eighth faction. I have a good feeling that he won't think twice about hiring us. We've got this, _______."

******** 

"Follow me. Right through here." The man opened the large, metal door of the old warehouse. Cautiously, you looked around the seemingly deserted expanses of the huge building before glancing at your friend. Jake's eyes roamed across the place, but he looked nothing short of confident. You followed the middle-aged man as he led the two of you further into the building and toward one relatively narrow hallway. Your steps slowed a little and you looked around one more time as you left the wide, sun-lit storage area of the warehouse and proceeded deeper into the colder, significantly darker corridor. You noticed that Jake's pace matched your own, his stance just as alert.

The man reached a rusty old door at the end of the corridor and grabbed its handle. "Hurry it up, kids. Ain't got all day." He said, pulling the door open with a bit of effort and motioning for you to follow after him.

"We're not kids." You grumbled, not forgetting to fixate your glare at the man's back. He ignored you, but Jake on the other hand chuckled amusedly at your remark. The sounds that your feet made against the metal steps resonated within the confining walls as you followed the man down the staircase leading toward the basement of what seemed to be abandoned premises on the outside.

"Gotta give it to you two. It's a good thing you got rid of that Dmitri. He was such a pain in the a-..."

"Butt." Interrupted Jake.

The man halted in his steps and turned slightly to the teenager. "Huh?"

"Butt. Dude, let's not use bad language, now. We've got a kid here with us." He explained cheekily, patting the top of your head.

With an irritated huff, you swatted his hand away and glowered at him: "Jake." You hissed warningly, to which he just grinned.

The older male rolled his eyes and continued on his way down to the end of the stairs. "Definitely kids."

********

"I'm back guys! What did I miss?!" The man had instructed you to wait at the door as he went into the poorly lit room in the middle of which a table was placed, surrounded by a group of men playing poker, as it appeared.

"Jakov is slayin' it, man! Again! I'd cut my arm off if you haven't been cheating, Jakov."

"Why don't you go ahead and cut it off then?"

"Ey, Nikola. Whatchu got there?"

The man named Nikola glanced back at you then at his comrades. "New recruits."

"Dude, this is no kindergarten."

You and Jake looked at each other for a fleeting second but maintained your position at the door.

"Yeah, but these aren't just any recruits. They're Dmitri's former apprentices."

At hearing that, one of the men leaned back in his chair and craned his neck to look at you. The mere sight of his face was enough to freeze the very blood in your veins. Your breath was uncontrollably caught in your throat, unable to squeeze its way to your burning lungs. 'What... What is he doing here?'