The Canadian Connection

Ch. 15 Bartering for Morons

Recap.

"I uh, gotta go now." Gilbert grinned evilly showing an impressive amount of teeth before pressing in close to the blonde and pulling his Luger out, pressing the muzzle of the pistol to the Nordic man's back. Mathias stiffened when he realized exactly what was pointed at him while Gilbert's grin merely broadened.

"No, stay awhile. I have some friends nearby who would absolutely love to meet you." Gilbert told him as he directed Mathias over to Arthur's booth, ensuring to hold the gun at an angle so that it was hidden from the rest of the bar between his and Mathias's bodies.

"Aw shit."

"So… what should we do with him?" Matthew asked the others. He along with Yong-soo, Berwald, Norge and Tino were standing in various locations in the kitchen of the small apartment, Alfred before them and tied securely to a wooden chair with a challenging scowl painting his expression. Following the discovery and summary apprehension of the American it had, apparently, been the standard move to tie the intruder down somehow and depending on one's personal preference either gag them or not, a procedure Berwald was a little disturbingly very eager to take upon himself to do it.

Tino had been keeping a bit of distance since had finished but it was surely merely coincidental…

"He should have valuable information ergo we should try to extract it." Norge uttered on a monotone of stating the obvious. Berwald grunted in agreement and Tino nodded, albeit reluctantly as he was eying the American somewhat tentatively, unsure if the decision was the right one.

"Hah, you wish. I'll never talk, no matter how hard you torture me." Alfred declared confidently, wriggling in his ropy bonds in an attempt to pose heroically for the benefit of the others in the room.

"Maybe we should draw straws to see who has to get it." Tino suggested, ignoring the American's declaration.

"We don't h've straws." Berwald informed the Fin.

"Hey!" Alfred shouted, annoyed at how he was being passed over.

"Rock paper scissors?" Yong-soo suggested.

"We don't have an even number of people and it would be punishing the winner." Matthew told his Korean friend.

"Hey, don't ignore me!"

"Then what do you suggest huh?" Yong-soo challenged, pouting slightly at his idea being shot down so easily by the blonde as if it was a paper airplane caught in flak fire.

"I don't know, musical chairs."

"That's stupid it's obvious I would win after all." Yong-soo scoffed, waving the suggestion off.

"How do you know?" Tino inquired, curious despite himself.

"Because musical chairs originated in Korea!"

"Hey! Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" Alfred shouted, banging his feet on the tiled floor furiously in a childish display of frustration. The five men turned to the American in surprise and bewilderment at the juvenile display. There was a moment of silence between everyone as the air grew heavy with the awkwardness of the situation until Norge sighed, breaking the oppressive mood and wandering over to a nearby drawer.

"Fine, I will do it." Norge declared, pulling the drawer open and pulling out a knife that shined maliciously in the light of the kitchen. The Norwegian turned around, revealing the wicked instrument to the others and causing Matthew and Yong-soo to blanch slightly as they realized the intent behind the items appearance.

Alfred cast a challenging glare at the Norwegian, tightening his jaw in preparation of the pain and to not exclaim his plight when the man began his work. Norge noted that idly as he approached the American, the knife slowly turning over in his hand like a spit over a fire when the telltale shrill ring of his cell phone cut through the murderous air.