The Royal Contract

That covered most of the old playground. During the day, excited kids probably filled this place with their bright smiles and waves of laughter. But on a night like this, it was him, his friend, and some men hiding in the shadows.

Did his friend betray him, or was he unaware of the threat he sensed around them? He had not seen a sign of anyone else, but he could feel it in his gut that they were out there.

“Gerald?” His friend called again, and he finally decided to approach him with extra caution. “I knew that was you. But you still frightened me.” His friend clutched into his chest as if he was nervous, but he still displayed a smile on his face as he calmed down.

That was another sign of something amiss as far as he could tell. His friend was not easily spooked unless something was wrong in this picture. Alarming bells were already ringing in his ears, but he still could not point out where the enemies were.

“Mike, what is it?” He finally asked when he was close enough to his friend as his eyes kept scanning the vicinity.

But based on their position, if there were other people out there to get them, they were sitting ducks if they decided to strike. They could cover behind the chairs or the slides, but he doubted that the bullets in his gun would be enough to protect them.

His mind calculated their position, finding the quickest escape route if he just headed for an ambush. But then again, the question remained. Was his friend innocent, or was he part of this plot against him?

“I think someone is setting you up,” Mike whispered as if he did not want anybody else to hear him. “But it is not me. I am sorry, man, but I have no choice.”

.....

His words confirmed some of his fears as he pushed his hands underneath his jacket to get his gun. But before he could pull it out, Mike pointed a gun at him.

Even if he could successfully get his gun, Mike would have pulled the trigger before he could fire it at him. It seemed that his friend had exchanged their friendship for a few pieces of silver coins.

“Everyone has a choice, but you choose the wrong side.” He knew that even if he died at this spot, his friend had made a mistake by picking the other side.

No one would ever trust a traitor. If he managed to betray him, his enemies would never completely trust him. They would keep him alive as long as he still had used to them, but he would surely die a painful death afterward.

But he guessed his father, Joaquin, was right about one thing. He could never trust anyone, not even his bestfriend. Still, he would want to know what his enemies were planning before he attempted his escape.

“Not this time,” Mike uttered like he was genuinely sorry as he extended his hand and pointed the gun at his head. “You have served your purpose, and now you need to die.” He said, louder this time as if he wanted someone else to hear him.

“Why are you doing this? I made you rich. Enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life. I gave you power. What else did you want?” He asked since he did not understand the reason for his betrayal.

Despite his father’s warning, he did not want to believe it. He always gave Mike the benefit of the doubt. He valued his friend that he treated him like a brother.

Therefore, it was still hard to accept that he could treat their friendship like trash and throw it away when he had no more use for it. However, this was not the time for sentiment. He had to think fast, or he would die on this pavement.

“More money, more power,” Mike answered, more agitated than before. He could see that his hand was starting to shake, meaning it could be his opportunity to strike or escape.

“Who is behind all this? I am sure you can tell me since I am dying anyway.” He needed to distract him and rattle him a bit more.

Besides, if he had a chance to save his life from this situation, he would still need to know his enemies.

He had to know who else was on his side and formulate a plan to fight against those who went against him. That was the only way he would survive this situation.

“It doesn’t matter because you would not be going after them when you are already six feet under the ground.” Then, Mike looked at his watch as if he needed to be somewhere else.

“Maybe we can talk about this. I can offer you something bigger.” He still needed to buy a few more minutes.

He already spotted two men scooped down on his left. He wanted to know if there were men on the other side of the courtyard. He needed a route that was clear of his enemies.

He doubted he could return to his car. Nevertheless, he could still find a way to escape this if only he could be lucky to have an opening. But as his eyes glimpsed at the other spot, he noticed a movement in that area.

It seemed his enemies had the entire area covered. He had no way out unless he could make a diversion. He was not giving up. He had to find a way to live.

“I don’t think so. It had been nice to be your friend while it lasted.” Mike used his other hand to salute him like a soldier, honoring his commander. However, his other hand moved while his finger pulled the trigger.

The resonance of the gunshot echoed in the air as his body slightly catapulted backward. He knew the bullet hit him, but where he still had to find out as he felt his body fall to the ground.

Was he dead? He doubted as he heard voices around him. But he could not seem to move. Then, he tried to open his eyes which he did not even realize had closed.

It partly opened, but he hardly saw anyone, just shadows that moved but nothing else. It was so brief that he could not recognize any of the men that had joined his friend to rejoice in his impending death.