The Royal Contract

Something dropped to the floor behind him. It had made a big noise that reverberated around the room. He was slightly startled hearing the sudden loud noise.

He quickly turned around to see some of the cleaning materials scattered around the floor. Then, a man walked out of the shadows, showing his tall figure.

Judging from the smirk on his face, he was the cause of the commotion. He must have intentionally knocked off the bottles that sent them flying on the different areas of the floor.

“What do you want?” Nick recognized the man as the one who had called him earlier as he walked back to his cell. And he did not like his presence inside the small empty stall.

He dropped the sponge he was using back to the pale and kept his position away from the man. He wondered what he needed this time, but he could not help the slight fear that crept to his spine.

He did not like the way he was staring at him. He could see the evil gleam in his eyes as if he was planning something untoward toward him.

.....

“I heard that you are cleaning this place by yourself. I thought I might as well check if you need something.” The man who had not identified himself spoke up in the quiet room.

He walked further inside the room, letting his eyes roam the different cubicles in the room. It was like he was checking if anyone else was present with them.

“Well, I need someone to scrub those bowls.” He sarcastically answered the man, pointing to the cubicles he had just looked at a moment ago.

He straightened his back, standing tall, showing the man he was not afraid of him. He would not be easily intimidated by him if that was his purpose. He would not back down that easily.

“That certainly looks nasty.” The man responded as he briefly glanced inside the cubicle before returning his attention to him.

He scrunched his nose, appearing disgusted by the scene before him. Then he grabbed a detergent left on the counter and read the label.

“Yes, this entire place is nasty.” He never wavered his eyes away from his unknown company, watching his every move.

He was not entirely referring to the room or the facility. He was also directing his words to the people around him, particularly the man before him. He could see that he was up to something no good, and he should never allow his guard down.

One thing he had learned during his stay in this place, everybody wanted something. But that was not what bothered him. It was how they planned to get it.

He believed he was no different. Everybody in this joint would do anything for money, power, or freedom. With that knowledge, he knew his life might be in constant danger.

“Yeah, I agree with you with that one.” The man answered him as if he was trying to gain his trust.

However, he would not allow such words to fool him. He knew he had to be alert and careful around this man before he ended up lying on the tiles with pools of his blood covering the floor.

“If you came here to help, you can do those areas.” He pointed to the one that was on the other end. “If not, I would appreciate it if you would just leave.”

He would not let him anywhere near him, afraid that he would suddenly put a knife at his back. But he would still be vigilant if he planned to stay for long as his company.

He had no idea where the guard was. If he suddenly decided to attack him, he was not confident if he could defend himself with his size. But he would try his best since it was his life on the line.

“The warden did order me to come here, so I had no choice on the matter.” The man said as he grabbed another set of pale but did not put soap or bleach on it. Instead, he slowly walked toward him.

He had this determined look on his expression that sent shivers through his entire body. His eyes were not blazing with fury but more of what predators used when they hunted their prey.

Somehow he knew it was his end when the man dropped the pale in front of him, slightly spilling its contents. Then, he finally pulled something out of his back, a sharp metallic object that sparkled when the light from the window hit its surface.

“Why are you doing this? Who ordered you to do this? Who are you working for?” He muttered his questions as he made his last stand.

He was not a fighter. He might look fit, but he had never fought any of his battles. He had his men fight for him. But now, he realized that his men were not here to defend him.

However, he still had his brain. He believed he could still come up with something. He was not ready to give up yet. He still had one more card he could use.

“It doesn’t matter. In a few minutes, you would not need those answers.” The man said, aiming the knife in front of him.

He could see that he was determined to kill him. He might have been sent here for that specific purpose, to end his life. He wondered who had ordered him. Was the warden included in the payroll?

“Whatever they were paying you, I will double it.” He finally offered the man, knowing that money was the usual savior in this scene.

It was the only thing that could spare his life. If the man was greedy enough, he might still have a chance to survive this. But if not, he had no idea how he could dodge his attack.

He seemed to be skilled at killing people from the way he was holding his knife. Not that he would know much about knives. He never used one except on a few occasions in the kitchen.

If he only had a gun at his disposal, he would have shot him instantly, right between his eyes, without blinking. But all he had was a sponge and a pale of water with soap.

“Money?” The man gradually stopped in his tracks as if thinking about his offer. It slightly gave him hope.

If he could convince this man that sparing his life would be more lucrative for him, maybe he could still save his life.

“Yes, I will triple whatever they were paying you to kill me.” He upgraded his offer, hoping that it should increase his chances of survival in his hand.

“And how do you propose to pay me?” The man asked, lowering his weapon on his thigh as he loomed closer. He thought the man seemed to be listening to reason.

“By arranging a transfer to your account or giving it to you, cash.” He quickly replied, seizing the chance to convince him.

“That is a tempting offer.” The big man moved one step closer, but before he realized what he had planned to do. He was too late.

The man moved swiftly, using the opportunity to strike him while his guard was down. He wanted to fight back, but there was nothing else he could do.

He grabbed his shoulders, holding on to this unknown man for support. He tilted his head, staring into the man’s eyes. He knew fear when he saw one. It reflected in his eyes.

He knew then that the end was near.