Bounty Hunter [REWRITTEN VERSION]

Chapter 16: Den of Serpents

MAIZE

The bus made it to their destination just a little after mid-day. The streets were bustling but luckily, not packed, it was almost no trouble getting a cab to take them to the address Maize had given to the driver when she was sure the other two weren't paying attention. She wanted to leave them finding out their destination to the last possible moment—knowing that once they found out, it would immediately be met with shock, doubt, and—probably mostly from West—disapproval.

So she did, she left it to the last possible second; as they pulled up.

One quick send off to the driver and they were standing at the entrance to Mexico City's number one gambling house, Guarida De Serpientes—the Den of Serpents.

An ironic place to seek refuge from given the namesake of the hostile gang supposedly hunting them.

"You have got to be kidding me," Alec muttered as his gaze rested on the illuminated sign overhead that displayed the Casino's name in brightly lit green. Maize knew he could read it, which meant he was probably thinking the same thing she was.

"Cool," Kishan commented up at the place, while Alec sent him a glare and turned to Maize.

"This is a joke right?"

Maize sighed, "Believe me, I wish it was..."

She had expected exactly this sort of reaction from Alec. She herself was conflicted about it.

She was grateful that her old friend had extended a hand out to her—willingly offering them a place of cover in probably their moment of greatest need, but on the other hand, Maize couldn't help but hate the idea of coming back to this place. The memories that threatened to resurface reminded her of her past, of the person she had been when this place first became something of significance to her. And that was something she had promised never to return to again.

"Maize," Alec called her name. "You alright? Looked like you zoned out for a minute there..."

"I'm fine," she covered quickly and began walking ahead.

The Casino was just as she remembered it, big, shiny, and filled to the bridge with gamblers left and right. Exactly what one expected to see in a place like this.

She ignored the flashing signs and loud sounds as she strolled right in, confident as if she was meant to be here—unfortunately, her two comrades could not seem to do the same. When Maize glanced once behind her to check that they were still following, she found that both of their attentions were all over the place. Kishan was staring around openly with a bright grin on his face, looking like an excited kid in a candy shop. Whereas Alec was the opposite. He was glaring at everything in sight as if it had done something to him.

Maize resisted the urge to facepalm right there in the middle of the Casino, Could he look any more like a cop?

She briefly sent him a glare of her own, hoping he would get the message to cut it out. Maize didn't think she had to explain the fact that in here, they needed to blend in, she thought it was more or less common sense. Apparently, common sense that neither of the two had. The people in this building most likely did not take kindly to law enforcement, Maize was sure that was the case for most, if not all of them.

West better fix himself soon.

Before he unintentionally started something he didn't know how to finish.