Thought
you could get
away, did
you?
!?
BOO!
GASP!
Holy shit,
you should see your FACE!
HAHAHA!!!
Oh man,
I can't wait to
tell the guys
about this!
Penn
wasn’t joking!
You're jumpy as
hell!
"Penn"...?
How was
my impression of
the faceless man,
eh?
HA HA HA
OLIVER.
He must have told
the rest of the security
team about last
night...
...You
think this is funny?
Shouldn't
a security officer
be more concerned about
a murderer roaming free
in the building?
Oh god,
STOP, you’re gonna make me piss myself!
The guard's cackling grates on my nerves, but before I can fully lose my temper, we're interrupted.
Yo, Wolf...
Thanks for havin'
my back the other
day.
Ah...!
Heya, Scorp.
Wolf turns to “Scorp” and gives him a pat on the back that nearly bowls the thinner man over.
I got
your cut for
ya if you wanna
swing by.
Tell you
what - if you got new stuff, I'll take the discount instead
this time.
Er...
Here?
TCH
Yeah, here,
why the hell
not?
O-okay.
Sure, man.
...!
Appreciate
your business.
Hey!
What the
hell do you
think you're
doing?
Scorp
and I have
a deal.
I scratch
his back, he
returns the
favor.
You're
facilitating
drug deals?!
On the
property!?
SNORT
What's with
that look?
If you want
us to cut you
in—
You're
fired.
THE HELL'D
YOU JUST SAY TO
ME, PIPSQUEAK?!
You
heard me.
Get out.
What
the F*CK
for?!
You can't be
serious. I just
saw you break the law.
Then
you shouldda been
mindin' your own
business!
Everything
that happens in
this building is
my business.
I work
for Malcolm,
not you.
As of
today, you don't
work for anyone.
You're
lucky I haven't
called the
police.
Wolf’s face turns a deep shade of red. He curls his hands into fists and strides towards me. I try not to show any fear, but Wolf has a considerable size advantage over me, and his eyes flash with deadly rage. I brace myself for the worst, but he stops short, fixating on a point over my shoulder.
I turn to see what's caught his attention.
A security
camera...! Did Oliver
set them up
already?
REC
Once he notices the camera, Wolf's aggressive demeanor quickly shifts to smug disdain.
I don't
know what's
gotten into
you...
But you're
really gonna
regret this.
Is that
a threat?
He deliberately rams into me as he passes - a calculated display of dominance for "Scorp" and the other curious bystanders that’s just subtle enough to pass off as an accident if caught on tape.
I wonder if guys like Wolf have any idea how predictable they are, or if they just don't care.
Don’t
say I didn’t warn you when this all blows up in your face, pencilneck.
I dust myself off as Wolf disappears down the hallway. I’m shaken, and my arm is throbbing where he slammed into me, but I hold myself together in front of the crowd of onlookers.
Well,
then...
"Scorp".
I suggest
you start looking for a new place
to live.
Being smaller than most, I’ve never been able to present much of a physical threat. However, in certain situations, I've learned that maintaining self-control and an icy detachment can be just as intimidating as brute force.
That
goes for all
of you.
This
place is going up for sale by the end of the week.
I pick up the bags again and march past the speechless tenants.
Gasping and whispering fill the hall behind me, but I clench my jaw and pointedly ignore it. Strength is irrelevant, it's being perceived as weak that's dangerous.
As long as
your foe believes
you’re untouchable, you
have the upper hand.
I find the trash chute without further incident - all I have to do is follow my nose.
The tiny room is packed with so much garbage, it's starting to spill out into the hall.
Disgusting.
I approach with caution, remembering the journal's warning about the wasp nest, but stop short when my eyes land on a familiar object nestled among the refuse.
My
mother's
vase...!