Chapter 92 The Survival Instincts of Small Characters
Inside the butcher shop.
Todd sat on the bed, puffing on an e-cigarette, his gaze slightly anxious as he kept glancing at his wristwatch.
On the street, the sound of screeching brakes rang out as a beat-up SUV stopped at the intersection. Inside the car, a red-faced man dialed David's number and said briefly, "I'm here. Ready to move."
"He's in 307," David responded in a low voice.
"Got it." The red-faced man hung up, took a pair of surgical gloves from the glove compartment, put them on, then grabbed a woolen hat from the back seat and put it on before getting out of the car.
The car was in neutral with the handbrake on but not turned off, facing the widest road to ensure a quick escape after the job.
After getting ready, the red-faced man adjusted his coat and walked briskly into the butcher shop.
"Hey buddy, wanna have some fun?" A young man at the door greeted him, "The girls are inside, and I'll call them out for you to choose."
"Not now,.I'm here to meet a friend," the red-faced man said, lowering his head slightly, "Where's 307?"
The young man at the door, looking disappointed, pointed to the stairs on the left and said, "Upstairs, turn left, and you'll see it."
"Thanks." The red-faced man headed upstairs.
Inside the makeshift bar, the young man muttered, "Cheap bastards are always coming here to talk business."
Upstairs, in the dimly lit corridor, the red-faced man slipped his right hand into his coat, his eyes sharply scanning both sides.
Inside the private room.
Todd frowned as he played a game on his phone, but he couldn't calm down. After his game character died twice in a row, he suddenly stood up and cursed, "Why is it taking so long? No news yet."
He paced around the room, slung his shoulder bag, and instinctively walked to the door, peering through the peephole.
303.
305.
The red-faced man looked at the numbers on the doors to his left, then stopped, pulled out a gun, lowered his wrist, and placed the gun along the seam of his right leg before taking a few more steps.
307 was right in front of him.
The red-faced man glanced around, then leaned close to the door and knocked.
Inside the private room.
Todd glanced outside, saw no movement in the corridor, and turned to head to the bathroom again. He was so nervous that he had almost peed ten times.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Todd froze, then quickly went to the door, pressing his cheek against the door panel and looking out through the peephole.
"Are you Todd? Open up. David's downstairs. He sent me to get you," the red-faced man said.
Todd was overjoyed and was about to respond, but as his hand touched the doorknob, he suddenly hesitated.
"Todd, are you there? Open up," the red-faced man continued.
Sweat broke out on Todd's forehead, his face turned pale, and his right arm trembled as he pulled a long military knife from his bag.
After a brief standoff, the red-faced man lost patience, stepped back, and suddenly kicked the door.
After two muffled thuds, the flimsy lock shattered, and the door swung open.
The red-faced man stepped inside, finding the room pitch black and empty.
Heavy breathing could be heard as Todd wiped the sweat from his face, immediately picked up his phone, and pressed the mute button. At the same time, he gripped the knife tightly, standing in room 306 and looking across the hall.
Downstairs.
Footsteps approached, and a staff member shouted, "What's going on? Who's kicking the door?"
The red-faced man cursed, turned, and quickly moved along the wall, soon running into the staff member.
"Who kicked the door?" the staff member asked.
"Is 307 occupied?" The red-faced man raised his gun to the staff member's head and asked, "Did the person who booked 307 book any other rooms?"
The staff member froze.
"Speak, or I'll shoot you." the red-faced man threatened.
"I... I didn't notice. I just started my shift," the staff member stammered.
The red-faced man glanced at the staff member, saw a walkie-talkie on his waist, and ordered, "Use the walkie-talkie to ask, now."
Just then, a muffled sound came from outside.
The red-faced man turned and quickly asked, "Do the rooms have windows?"
The staff member, not daring to provoke the man with the gun, replied, "Even-numbered rooms have windows."
The red-faced man turned and ran back, taking three steps at a time to room 306, and kicked the door three times.
The door opened, the lights were on, the room reeked of smoke, and the window was wide open, letting in the cold wind.
After a brief pause, the red-faced man rushed to the window and looked down, seeing Todd limping across the street into an alley.
"The money's gone," the red-faced man cursed, pulled out his phone, and dialed David's number as he ran out.
About three minutes later.
Todd, disheveled, ran out of the alley, his phone ringing in his pocket.
"Hello?"
After a moment of hesitation, Todd answered, "David, you're a bastard!"
"Todd, you must be mistaken."
"Mistaken? I don't think so. I could smell the gunpowder," Todd replied coldly, "If I hadn't had experience with Benjamin, I'd be dead tonight."
"I sent that guy to pick you up."
"David, I'm just a small fry. Please, let me go. I don't want the rest of the money," Todd said quietly, "Don't push me. I won't return to Pine City."
"Todd, listen to me..."
"What else is there to say, David! Your friend scared the hell out of me." Todd hung up and quickly disappeared into the night.
At the card table, Terry noticed David's troubled expression and asked, "What's wrong?"
"We didn't catch Todd," David replied nervously, "Todd's clever. He gave me the room number 307 but stayed in 306 to observe."
Terry dropped his cards, stood up, and asked, "Didn't get the job done?"
"Yeah." David nodded.
Terry slapped David, making him stagger back a few steps. "You got a brain the size of a pea? You're a cop, but you can't catch a punk."
David lowered his head. "These guys are experienced, always on the streets."
"You can't even handle one thing." Terry lost interest in the game and asked Chris, "Will Todd change his mind if he doesn't get the rest of the money?"
Downtown.
Robert sat in the car and said to Carl, "Get him out, I'll be waiting down here."
"Okay." Carl nodded.
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