The sleek black vehicles that blocked Rino's path weren't just any vehicle. Both of them shouted wealth under the sun, causing its polished body to glitter with sparkles.
Before him was a Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge, with dark chrome rims and no license plate. Its windows, as well, were tinted, preventing visibility of who was inside the car.
Behind him, it was still the same car, parked like a predator showing off its threat through gritted teeth.
"What the hellish fuck!" he cursed under his breath, hitting the steering wheels severally, in this furious state.
He thought he was now safe. He thought leaving the bank premises, without any suspicious movement observed, assured his safety. But, no, robbers always have their surprises.
And in his point of view, these weren't ordinary robbers. Their cars proved that. Oddly, too, those cars looked somewhat familiar.
Of course, he knew only a few rich in the society were able to afford that car, but without license plates, he couldn't be sure if these were the ones he'd seen.
His throat tightened.
"..."
Before he could process another thought, two figures approached his car from behind—two men in tailored black suits.
Rino took another glance at the briefcase, which he had earlier dropped on the front passenger seat, and chuckled slightly.
"It is finished."
What brought him out of his sober reflection was the shattering of his window glass. The owner of the fist that had collided with the window put his hand to open the car door from within, but Rino tried to revolt. At that instant, the second companion gave him a blow to the face that caused him dizziness within the moment.
Hands dragged him out. In his unconscious state, he could feel a firm grip seizing his throat before a black cloth wrapped over his eyes. This way, he was introduced to darkness as he was dragged against the tarred roads.
One thing about the city roads, where the wealthy often inhabited, was that their roads were never busy. It always looked lonely, with one or two cars travelling each time. So, even if Rino wishes for help to come for him, that was a rare case.
He struggled all he could, fought, tried to shout, but another blow to his gut knocked the wind out of him.
And he became mute again.
***
Rino's eyes flickered a few times before opening to the harsh light overhead.
His breathing was ragged, shaky. His mouth was dry. He tried severally times to spit out, but thought at the same time that it would be to his own detriment—his mouth was cello taped with a silvering gum sticker.
The air in the room tasted of crimson and rust. He struggled a few times to get himself loose from the bound, but he couldn't. His body was harshly tied to a reinforced chair, both ankles and wrists locked down, and his shirt torn halfway.
The scent of cigarette smoke lingered in this distasteful atmosphere, mixing with the similar scent of expensive cologne, which he identified as familiar.
His head throbbed as he adjusted his eyes. The blurry vision of the man standing before him became sharper.
As soon as he raised his head, the man standing before him bent slightly and helped him whack off the gum cello taped to his mouth.
Madling?
The thought of believing what he saw sent chills down his spine. The name continued echoing through his mind with disbelief.
"Madling...?" Rino stared, struggling between words to mention his name this time around.
Madling's lurking beard twitched slightly with a smile, but his eyes were cold and amused. They spoke of cruel pleasure intent.
His designer suit, similar to what Rino knew, was glinting. He looked like he had just left a gala, not like someone orchestrating a kidnapping.
And that was just it. He knew that Madling had accompanied the new Chairman to the ceremony on his behalf. So, how come? Why was he here? Was he also kidnapped?
But his last thought was, in fact, indescribable. Madling, standing before him, was fit and unharmed, free as well, unlike him, tied to a wooden chair.
Thinking that he had done what he wanted—making Rino recognize his face—he signalled the men standing by the sides and shifted from the scene.
Then, without preamble, Rino began to eat beats.
These two men uttered no words as they performed this act of torture. Their fists, knees, and even elbow strikes methodically, in sync as if they were especially trained in the art of pain.
Rino's rib cracked from the hit, blood gushed slowly from the side of his mouth, and his head reeled from the blows. But he didn't scream, he resolved not to give them the pleasure of seeing him do that.
"It's okay," Madling finally said, raising his right hand like a conductor stopping the orchestra.
The two men in black suits stepped back, breathing heavily but completely unbothered by the violence.
Only then did a faint memory of what had happened before he was captured flash into his mind. And he thought, Madling must have been the driver of the car behind him.
Madling's presence, as disturbing as it had become for Rino, chased away the faint memories as he walked forward slowly, crouching in front of Rino to meet him eye to eye.
"Madling... right, immediately, get this stinking rope off my comfort. Let's leave this place, the chairman must be waiting for me to deliver the money," Rino muttered, disbelief tinged in his tone.
"And why should I?" Madling replied coldly, walking a few steps away from Rino but not far from him.
Rino gritted his teeth, spitting blood to the side.
"...and for the money, it is safe. There's nothing to worry yourself about," Madling shot Rino a wicked look. "Including the second briefcase, they are all safe."
After a short pause, Madling continued, "I thought it was your hard work which got you favour from our amiable Chairman, but everyone was wrong... sadly, yourself too."
"Master Josh made it clear that he was only giving you the honor you deserved because he thought you were the reincarnation of his younger brother, who died some months ago.
What do you think? Oh, I almost forgot. What did you call it again, Transparency in business, right? You said that was what got you to this rank, right?"
"Why are you doing this?" Rino asked, with teeth covered in blood.
"Because I need that rank, Rino!" Madling suddenly flared out. "Good enough, you asked me to quit calling you 'sir' and I won't even, cause I'm now a rank higher than yours by a wide margin."
"Transparency, you say? It helps. That was how Master Josh got to know you will be using his advantage to borrow from the bank," Madling said.
Rino gritted his teeth tighter, struggling to no avail to get himself loose. "Madling!"
"Yes, don't think too much about it. I only relayed to the Chairman what you told me...'If I can get a recommendation or an opportunity to borrow a huge amount from the bank...' Those were your words, right? I simply knew you were going to use this opportunity given to you to borrow a huge amount of money."
"So, what did I have to do to make sure your plan of taking a loan is not to backstab the company?" Madling asked rhetorically. "I had to be transparent, you get what I mean, right?"
Rino gritted his teeth, spitting blood to the side.
Madling chuckled softly, pacing. He turned to Rino, folding his arms. "You know, Rino, I always admired people like you. Quiet, Smart, Capable. But you're in the middle of a game that doesn't allow pawns to think they're kings."
"Imagine all the hard work you've put in for the group. Master Josh only termed your promotion a result of your resemblance to his younger brother."
He stepped closer again.
"But you know what?" Madling said, almost whispering.
But Rino caught him in between speeches, his voice shaky. "Who sent you?"
"Isn't it obvious? The person who needs the money, of course," Madling answered. "But tell me, Rino, what do you plan to do now?"
"For me, I plan to fulfill the last lesson you taught me. Which is cultivating the act of gratitude," Madling said. "I wish to gratify you in this case, for the lesson. Thanks to you, I've been promoted to replace the seat of the Senior Finance Manager."
He leaned in, face inches from Rino's.
"Don't worry, I won't fully execute the instruction given to me. That will be my way of showing gratitude to you. I will let you go from here," Madling suddenly concluded and turned to walk away.
"Oh, I nearly forgot... Your dad must have sent you an important voice message on your resignation letter, which was sent to him. Do well to listen attentively, okay?" Madling chuckled, calmly.
"Rest tonight, and tomorrow, we can still be friends," as if not getting something right, Madling added. "Common man, you won't let this act of gratitude be in vain, will you?"
Madling ordered the two guys to untie Rino, who was as weak as harmless. After loosening the ropes, they joined Madling to leave through the door.
Rino watched them leave, cringing his chest and exhaled painfully, coughing. He couldn't believe his eyes.
He was no longer just an errand boy with two briefcases.
He was a young man whose life was on the brink of shattering...
Not yet. Not yet...!!
He immediately pulled his phone and saw the notification. Madling was right, his father had indeed sent him a message. A voice message.