GAMBLE: Rule of Cards

CHAPTER 3

CONTINUOUS DROPS of water could be heard from the outside of the comfort room where Denton has been staying for a couple of minutes already. Even the people outside the comfort room are wondering what Denton is doing inside the room. “Am I doing this right?” he asked himself while looking at the black card the old guy gave him while it was soaking wet under the flowing water coming from the faucet. The card was thicker than the usual paper and is one really hard to wet with a water. “I did what the old guy wanted me to do.”

He looked at the black card before grabbing it and shoving it near his eyes but he was not able to see anything on it. “Why am I even bothering on trying? The old guy must have pranked me,” he muttered to himself. He moved the black card away from him and shook it thinking that shaking it might help.

Denton continued on shaking the black card until he noticed that the black part of the card is slowly tearing off. He continued on shaking the card until he saw that the black part of the card has already fully faded. “It has letters in it…” he cried in amazement. He looked at the black card where the address is slowly floating. It was like a magic that he almost did not believe. Fortunately, he tried his last resort and ended up knowing that it was the right thing to know the address of what the old guy is talking about.

He immediately dashed through the outside of the hospital to take a taxi and went to the place. He texted his brother to wait for him to come back as he was trying to make money for paying the hospital expenses of his youngest daughter. “22nd floor…” He looked at the buttons inside the elevator. He pressed the floor that was written on the black card when a guy, on the same height as him, stopped the elevator from closing and entered the elevator.

Denton noticed that the guy was also holding something on his right hand. “Thank you,” the guy with a good body build muttered as soon as entering the elevator. The guy was a good-looking and a tall man himself, but that is not the thing Denton was distracted. The guy was also seen holding the same card that the old guy gave Denton.

He cleared his throat to gain the man’s attention. “Hmm,” he muttered. The elevator just closed and started going up while the two guys are covered in silence. “You are also recruited by the WIC Company?” he asked, causing the guy to look at him and made a face, asking him who is he talking to. “Yes, you and I are the only one inside. Basically, I am starting a talk with you…”

“I’m sorry,” the guy muttered before scratching his head. He smiled like a fool. The guy was wearing a sleeveless shirt with a jumper on him. Everyone who sees him will know that the guy is a technician or something related to it. “Yeah.” His little response. Denton looked at him, as if he is asking for more than that little response. “Do I have to say more?”

Denton turned his gaze and looked at the buttons in front of him. “Are you also finding a job, then while resting, a random old guy either went near you or something like that and gave you that black card?” he asked the guy who did not give a damn. The other guy was rather surprised than he was acting like there is no one beside him. “Or, something different from my story?”

“Actually, I was surprised because your story is really close to how I get this black piece of paper,” he muttered. Denton smiled at him before giving him the floor to talk about his story. “I am a technician, anyway. While fixing something in our garage, I decided to take a break and eat my lunch which is a sandwich that my mother made for me when a random old guy approached me, looking at the sandwich I am munching. I noticed that he was hungry, so I gave him the sandwich. We started talking a lot until he vanished, leaving this card and the note.”

Denton’s mouth gaped open in amazement. “The similarities in our situations are uncanny.” Between the two of them, only Denton was able to express his feelings. The other guy remained unmoved and expressionless, leaving Denton to just talk like he was the only person inside the elevator. “A random old guy walked inside the fast-food chain that I went to take a break. I offered him a seat since I was just alone, sitting on my table. He talked a lot and asked me if I was finding a job, which I answered ‘yes’ and that I haven’t been accepted yet. Then, I really thought that he’s just kidding when he asked me if I wanted an urgent, instant money. While coming back from the comfort room, I saw no trace of him except from this paper and the note.”

The elevator opened, the exact moment Denton finished talking. They are greeted by two guards, literally guarding the elevator. The two guards even pointed a rifle to them which made Denton panic and raise his hand while holding the black piece of paper that was given to him. “They are the last two recruits.” One of the guards grabbed his walkie-talkie and messaged someone using it. Denton raised his head and looked at that one guard who was using the walkie-talkie. “The two recruits of this region has arrived. We are currently checking them. Roger.”

While one of the guards is busy talking with someone on the device, the other guys came in with two baskets. “Put your things inside the basket, leaving your body and your clothes alone.” The two guards’ aura are intimidating to the two guys, the recruits, so they just followed their commands and gave their phones, wallets and other things up. “Leave the elevator and follow us.”

The two guys who first met inside the elevator and followed the two guards, which they did because they have no other choice. They walked through the corridor of that floor. The two guards stopped at the last room on the bottom of that floor, and that is why the two recruits also stopped from walking.

Denton and the other guy just looked at each other before looking at the two guards slowly moving to the both side, leaving the door in front of their faces. One of the guards looked at Denton and laid him a hand, pointing to the door in front of them. “Are we the one to open that door?”

The guard just nodded. Scared of what the guards can do, the two guys followed what they are tasked to do and entered the room. What greeted them was a vast space where a lot of tables are placed all throughout the room. There are also a lot of people inside the place. It almost looks like a seminar but the faces inside really vary. The people who are waiting inside all looks odd, adding the other two who just came in.

As soon as they entered the room, the two guards locked the door. Denton was shocked and amazed at that time, that he is too confused to show an expression on his face. “This place is big,” those are words that escaped Denton’s mouth. He was amazed and kind of worrying, as well.

Two waiters with apron approached them and let them the way to their seats. They are on the table behind, at the last row. “Don’t you think this is kind of networking?” the other guy asked Denton who kept on looking around. His mouth is gaped open as he appreciates the architectural designs of the ceiling on top. “Are you interested with networking? If you are not, shall we go out?”

“Are you sure it is networking?” Denton asked the other guy, asking the other guy’s reassurance of his assumption. “If you want to leave, then leave already without me. I have to earn money for my daughter’s medical expenses. I will not leave this place without trying.” Denton looked at all the guards that are guarding the place, all around. “Also, if we are going to try escaping this place, I think we will fail. We are not going to win against them. It’s not as if they’re going to kill us here, so chill. We should not worry about this.”

Again, the two waiters approached them and gave them one glass of champagne each. Denton, as impulsive as he is, immediately tried the drink that was given to him. He even moaned to express his love to the champagne. “Are you really just gulping that drink without worrying if it has any poison in it?” he asked, panicking. “What if they hold-up us or kidnap us and ask our family ransom? We came here to find money yet we never know, they might kidnap us to get money from our family.”

“Dude, chill,” Denton muttered while patting the other guy’s shoulder. “Let’s try listening to what the speaker is going to say. Also, they asked us here for us to make instant and urgent money. Think about it; it’s ironic that they are going to kidnap us to get money from our family when we, ourselves, do not have any money. We came here because we have no money. Why would they do that to us who do not have money?”

The other guy also gulped the champagne unwarily. He was stressed thinking about all his worries that he drank the champagne without his awareness. Denton just looked at the other guy on his table and gave him a reassuring smile. It almost meant that it is going to be fine.