Freedom Is My Redemption

Chapter 8

This new man, Jerome, he was a very calm looking man. He didn't even seem cruel, he seemed to be young but his eyes made him old. He's seen things, no one has eyes like that without seeing some traumatizing things. The tension in the room was palpable it felt like it's own living entity. I swallowed and looked around, Timothy and Jason looked starstruck, Julia seemed calm, she and Jerome seemed to be having a battle of the wills. Kai, Davi, and Ash were all staring at the ground.
Suddenly, Jerome looked away from Julia and I could see the faintest hint of a smile on his lips. "So, I have to wonder, what's become of my crew?" He says it as he looks around eyeing each of us before his gaze lands on Kai. "And why is Johnny threatening- or attempting to threaten- me?" Kai opened his mouth when Davi spoke, "let's do this alone."
Jerome raised a brow but nodded to Davi before taking a seat at the head of the table. Kai cleared his throat suddenly finding his voice, "why don't you guys wait outside, we'll call you back when we're ready." I opened my mouth to protest but felt a hand on my shoulder stopping me. I looked up and saw Davi shake his head fractionally before guiding me out the door with the others.
As soon as I stepped over the threshold he stopped in the doorway his hand was on the door and he looked completely torn. He bit his lip before leaning towards me and kissing my cheek quickly, "I'm sorry baby, I'll explain everything when I can. Just-please stick with Jules." I nodded and he looked visibly relieved. Slowly, he closed the door and I was left standing alone in the painfully sterile smelling clinical hallway.
I sighed and turned to slowly to head back towards the kitchen I'd been in before, I wonder if they have snacks. Mama needs some Oreos.

Kai sat across from me and Jerome sat at the head of the table, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. This guy made me feel so uneasy. I mean, sure, he took me in and saved my life but I didn't want to get cozy with him. Last time one of his executives betrayed him he held a meeting in which he called out said person. No big deal right? He's head honcho he doesn't get his hands dirty.
Ha. Think again. He loves getting his hands dirty, I remember when I first came I was on cleanup and disposal. An important part to any flourishing mob, not the most glamorous job but- pays the bills. That night when he'd called out his exec, he'd done it in a brilliant display of blood and terror. None of them were left alive.
I'd been called to do my job, and when I got there I remember seeing him sitting in a chair taking a drag on a cigarette. He'd looked at me in confusion but smiled, "come in, please excuse the mess." I remember when I looked at him, he was covered in blood. His hair was matted in it, his face had blood staining it, his hands, and even his shirt was stained with it. But he looked like he was at the spa or some calming shit. "You're the new one, right?" He asked and I busied myself with the cleaning, I couldn't force myself to look at him, but I also didn't wanna focus too hard on the bodies. The less I know, the better.
"You're Kai's favorite, right?" He asked cocking his head to the side, I gnawed at my bottom lip feeling conflicted. Finally, I answered "I- I mean he brought me in? I don't know if I'm his favorite." He pursed his lips but nodded. "What do you do? What do you know?" I sighed at that, I was tired and just wanted to do my job, "sir, I'm just the cleanup. Nothing more, nothing less."
He put his hands together in front of him almost as though he were praying. I couldn't help but scoff at the image before me, suddenly his head peaked above his hands and he looked me dead in the eye. All trace of humor gone.
Instead, what was left was cold- calculating. I couldn't help but wonder which face these victims had seen just before they died. "What do you want? What presses you onward," I sighed, "to move up." It was simple enough but it seemed to shock the man, how ironic a simple sentence from me can shock the guy covered in blood.
He chuckled slightly, "I've heard about, you know? You're a great doctor," I felt my body stiffen, was he making fun of me? "I'm not a doctor." I said in disdain, I could hear the annoyance in my own voice and mentally scolded myself. The look of amusement danced in his eyes now, "no? Doris pulled together some paperwork on you Mr. Keaton, I must say you have an impressive record."
He was just baiting me, great, I sighed, "I'm not a doctor. Not anymore. I'm a guy who did something stupid and is now wanted by the government. I don't know- well I thought I did, look how that turned out- how to hide from the government. But this organizations main goal is to keep us hidden and in the shadows. That's what I need, that and to clean up this room before anyone comes in." I say the last part pointedly and he laughs.
"You, are quite the funny person, you know that? You're incredibly driven," he leans forward on the table and places his head on his hands. "How about I offer you a deal?" Instantly my heart tightened in fear, oh god, that's all my mind kept saying. "A deal?" I ask quietly and he smiles, "we can continue your medical knowledge, Doris is a wonderful teacher as well as very well versed on all things medical. She'll teach you, each mob needs a medic, after all."
I frown at that, do I want to do this? Do I want to be a medic? That world turned its' back on me, do I want to just go back open armed? I looked over and saw he was watching me intently, "I don't know," I said quietly. His eyes searched my face and he seemed almost sad, "why, if I may ask? You're a doctor, aren't you? Is it not your job- your goal- to save people?" At that, I frowned deeply and crossed my arms in front of me. No way was this serial killer gonna lecture me on what I should and shouldn't do with my life.
"I'm not a doctor," I say plainly and slowly, making sure to enunciate the words. "doctors help people. People betrayed me for no reason. I don't care what happens to people." At that he laughed full heartedly and I could tell it wasn't something he did very often. It sounded almost strange coming from him. I looked around confused not understanding what the hell was so funny.
He put his hand up, "I'm sorry- I don't mean to laugh at you. I just- this is your drive. You've been betrayed and have given up on humanity." He sighs contentedly, "I'd like to offer you a job. I think you've seen enough blood and carnage to last a lifetime." I frown, "I was a doctor, blood and carnage came with the territory." He nods now, and wipes at his eyes before speaking, "true. However, I just recently had an opening for an executive. And since you're not a doctor, and have such an entertaining thing that drives you," he shrugs. "Care for the job?"
My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open, "I- I, y- what?" My mouth spluttered and he sat calmly waiting for me to pull myself together.
He, at any moment, could've become enraged and thrown in the towel and killed me. No one would miss me if he did, he was the big boss after all. It had its advantages.
Instead, he sat and waited patiently watching my reaction to this as I puzzled it out. "I've only been here for two months. Aren't there people who've been here longer and-I don't know-deserve it?" He shrugged his shoulders, "perhaps, I guess you'll just have to show them you deserve it more."