Devil's Business

Rowdy Butcher

As he entered the police’s main headquarters, Juno was dragged up to the main conference room for a short course of press discussion with every deprived journalists and their scoop of headlines. His accomplishment as a young billionaire seemed encumbered those who were absorbed by the reason of his accelerated intakes of cash all this months. They fell in suspicious of whether the man has leeched out Dinesa and public cash deposit in any circumstance of corrupt activity with an infamous white-collar crime settler of the city.

“To end the news line around this guy, we need him to speak out words for the responsibility. Our country regards law above all else, and he is bestowed on due process of law by all means necessary.” Exclaimed the High-rank police officer down the conference table. He wears a formal attire for this occasion, a dark-gray uniform with four-stars insignia and lavish decoration on his left chest. Being a leader of the country and having himself attended the sole press conference like this certainly brings the chill out of Juno’s mind.

‘Remember, Juno. Your test would not only on my realm, but also yours.’ Muttered Lafath inside his head.

‘What should I do for escaping this situation, master?’

Being pointed out of the issue, Lafath guffawed,’HAHAHAHA! The test, Juno. It’s the test! Please, even a reckless mind like Zeke has an intelligence to tackle this situation.’

'But-'

An ample tap upon his left shoulder suddenly awakened Juno from the inside-out dialogue with the beast of hell, eventually brings him back into reality of the situation itself.

“Please, Mr. Juno Ayodhya. Have a seat and answer the question from everyone right here.”

The General knocked the empty seat several times as if he already called him for lifetime. Juno realized that he has to defend himself alone at this point. The demon demanded him to cross out and overrule the scaffold of judgement process with his wealth, but he has seen nowhere than looking at how exactly would that be done.

But first, he has to sought for his own dignity upon the media, to which having him barred right on the go when they decided to wring him out from the pack ever since. 

As Juno place himself to the hot seat of the press conference table, the Commander nods at him in brief before moving forward to the audience up front,”Now, for the question. Let us delay the accusation and be respectful until the adjudication mechanism rings on the bell over the guilty party. First one, please.”

The entire attending journalists were raising their hands on the air from the moment of cue of question queue has begun.

He pointed out on the red-collared female of PVC News, a channel specified for information center of the city and the critical one at corruption treatment of the country. They are the vocal cord of opposition and remarkable justice defender of late, but also soared high as the domestic enemy of Jatra’s officials due to their constant attacks over the reigning leader of the country.

“PVC News, perhaps? I’m not choosing it on favor, though. I have a dicey one for your mockery, as well, ”

The other audience laughed by the officer’s jokes, but then fell in silence when the female young journalist stood up from her chair,“Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Rudi. To make it short, I have three questions-“

“Make it one, spare the rest of your allies here, okay?”

---

An hour of questioning from the press conference was exhausting, even for a bicycle-enthusiast like Juno. Despite the borderline erected by the government official beforehand, and a high-rank one to add, the raucous and insatiable queries were chewing him alive on the spot. PVC news apparently has no remorse to mock him out of being a rampant wealthy man and skinning his personal life wholeheartedly. On the other hand, some entertainment-focused journalists tend to spot on his relation with Je-llo and other well-known celebrities of Dinesa before thinking over the actual issue of him being accused of personal misdeeds, to which they ignored and put away from their sight.

The next steps is in pursue. He dragged onto another set of questioning inside a tight-squared white room of the police headquarters, now with the police investigator specialized on fraud and corruption cases. Juno has heard the rumor of their stratagem on gouging information and honesty from the alleged personality, and the cramped-up space has everything they need to convince the accused party on being stiffed-up to become the guilty ones.

Casual tight-lipped smile has beckoned from the investigators inside the room, right before his entry to the fray of their battle of wits. Air conditioners has also put on the coldest temperature existed in their own target to squash him with chilling breeze, and the investigator himself fashioned a jacket for his own protection against the wind.

As the two escorting police officers send him in, the door closed and left the two in custody of the famed transparent glass of the movie set,“Welcome, Mr. Ayodhya. Have you been eaten something up? Because this would going to be a long sentence indeed.” Stated the investigators up front as he fastened Juno’s hand lock on the table.

“Not really. You were all snatched me up from my office in the mid-day, so I am literally have not a slightest moment to watch on my sustenance for comfort.” Juno answered.

“Perfect. Let us pray you would not be dead by hunger at any point, okay? Anyway, don’t worry for that glass. We have it installed in case of a female investigator or any interviewee who needs some patching over their make-up.”

Juno was gritting his teeth a little, although he knows for certain of the utilization of the transparent glass in general.

In essence, the investigator has only 6 questions, which were all incorporated under the terms of him and several notorious white-collar villain of the country. He speaks of them on with their galore of criminal acts and asks for his involvement around their actions. James Rudino, for instance, is a nefarious pedophile that run away with one and a half billions of cash abroad, which was also well-known for his indomitable interest over paintings and remarkable arts of the ancient era of humanity. He was once believed to make a bid on ‘the last supper’ that was successfully owned by Juno before its mysterious disappearance.

On the other way, Je-llo’s position over the crime was also questioned. The poet of Jatra has been caught up in wait with Juno for the delivery of ‘the last supper’ paintings. His admittance in the gala for auction of the paintings in Vena was considered as another part of his participation.

At the end of the warmth recollection of events and happenings, the investigator suddenly approached him close and speaks directly to his ear,”How much you offered for your freedom, Juno? I have an unmatched urges for money, and you’ll transfer me with some of your handsome remuneration from your business.” He ends the bargain with a firm shake on Juno’s right shoulder,”We’ll have a nice cup of coffee in the break session, so provide me handful of cash for your own sake.”

He then winked to the glass pane and glancing towards the empty stare of himself upon it as he returned to his seat.

---

The unbearable attitude and sudden action from the police investigator had Juno fell into a roller-coaster of emotion. On one way, he was not in control of the situation, as he was being extorted in face-to-face encounter without any sort of self-restrain. However, the offer instead posed easier advancement to the rightful effort for bribe and saving himself out of trouble instantly. In any way possible, he is in joy and being delightful over the circumstance, brought him a little into bouncing in every footstep that he does across the white investigation room’s front corridor to the break room nearby.

And the investigator waits there on the round table with the remaining three of their quartet of evil. One of them even has already tuned-up for home with his casual clothes to depart, but still arranged the unskippable period to squeeze him out of cash. Coincidentally to their plan, as always for any dubious settlement of the block, the break room is vacate of people at the moment. They freely chugged a can of soda from the vending machine, even sparing a solid one for Juno to enjoy.

“You don’t have an allergy to soda, do you?” Asked the bald officer with casual red basketball shirt. He appears to get ready for a game of Jatra Fire tonight,”But please, don’t get allergic to money, since we got you covered up for the later one.”

He replied to the bald officer with narrowed eyes,“As expected for our spearhead of corruption. I wonder how all of you can sleep so cozy all night.”

“Hey, stop it. You are here to spoil us, not to revolt.” Halted the private investigators in a small high-pitched voice to Juno’s belligerent attitude,”Just prepare yourself with a bargain. How’s you gonna pay us?”

“How about a million for the four of you?”

Two glasses personnel of the evil quartet are laughing seamlessly to the offering. They are the two extra personality of the four who remained shuttered back before. In first glance, the two of them seemed to be less-domineering than the more-talkative ones, either by physique or in their manners, but surely are still vile due to their connection with the team itself in general.

“Really? Even our junior are loud and clear with your decision. Roll it again!” Shouted the police investigators to Juno with condescending manners upon him.

---

The disputes between two parties ended with victory among the rowdy ones. Juno agreed to pay each of them 10 millions in form of assets and a small bit of cash on their anonymous bank account. In return, their current investigation is aborted with a promise to project his innocence to the public venues and media.

Total win for them, and also for Juno, since he has access to the dark side of Dinesa and its cronies of malevolent authorities.

Inside his mind, the demon was beaming with its servant’s triumph over the demanding authorities of his country. He jumped in joy along the way while waiting for Juno to have an audience with him inside, which happened shortly afterwards as he rides home in his car.

‘So, from now on, You’ll have to bribe each and every authorities with the money I gave you. It would be counted on your debt, obviously.’ Greeted the demon in advance to Juno’s entry.

He nodded in gentle manners towards the beast,“Kind of. I have to be cautious for choosing which way to go, considering a bunch of nuisance would be piled up onwards.”

“That’s what I’m talking about, boy. Your spirit has bring my interest over your domain than what your competitors did. Hope you’ll get into my place someday and fight me fair and square later on.”