I've worked for Garafulzan for almost a year now, and seeing him in cold sweat was pretty much a shocker for all of us.
It wasn't always like this, for his operations, he always spearheaded them, always made sure the cash grabs were done on time and made sure 'clients' had the cash in turn. If you had a business protected by Garafulzan, and you didn't pay up after a certain time, he'd have to send you a message.
And it's not the kind of message that you would get on your phone.
When it came to his organization, there were pretty much two types of people, the Muscle a.k.a the tough guys who would be more than happy to shake up anybody who looks at Garafulzan wrong, and those like me, the Collectors. Our job is simple, to collect the money from the business' under our protection. Occasionally, Garafulzan would sent at least 1 or 2 bodyguards for a Collector.
Just today, I had collected an amount of money from a vintage antique store. By antique, I meant items made to look antique, and to look like they originated in the 19th century America or Europe. All I wanted personally, was to collect the payment the owner was supposed to pay.
But he got in my face and was like. "Tell your boss that he can go to hell."
I understood that the owner didn't want any involvement, but here I was working for an aggressive criminal, so I had the Muscle convince the owner to reconsider. He gave in as soon as one of the guys with me broke a vase, then threatened the owner that his head would be shoved into a piano for display.
Garafulzan also ran a small restaurant which served seafood. The perfect place for him to hide himself in society and not be sniffed out by the police.
He had a happy smile on him by the time I arrived with the envelope full of cash.
"Good job." He said. "Your family will be proud."
Last year, Garafulzan cornered my family, my wife and my parents who were visiting. Unknown to our knowledge, we had lived in an area where the business' were under his protection, and he was looking for a certain everyman to act as a Collector. For me, it was the wrong place and the wrong time. Garafulzan told me that if I didn't work for him, he'd sew their mouths and mine to prevent us from talking to the police.
I told him that I'd only do it if he left them alone, and never involved them. He kept his word, and I was forced to keep mine. This was not a hole I dug in, this was a hole somebody else dug and I fell into it.
Today, on a cold evening, Garafulzan was in his chair, in cold sweat. The other collectors and muscle tell me that they've been working for him longer than I have, and it's also their first time seeing him in cold sweat. Myself and three other guys sat in chairs in his office, and there was also the muscle.
"We've got a problem, and it's worse than a snitch and the police combined." Garafulzan said. "You've probably heard of him on the news recently, and I heard that last night, one of our own was butchered by him. I'm talking about that guy."
"Damn." said one guy under his breath. His voice was full of fear. The others around me sounded concerned.
"For those of you who for some reason, didn't bother to hear about it, I'm talking about Poultry Boy." Garafulzan added.
***
Poultry Boy got his nickname for a reason. Rumor has it, is that he worked with the chicken produce at a butcher shop in North Jakarta.
But he didn't cut chicken to get on what is considered to be one of the trending topics in news recently. No, what he learned as a butcher, he brought it to society. In other words, imagine him doing his thing as a butcher on a piece of chicken, but you replace it with a human being.
3 people (4 if you count the associate Garafulzan mentioned) died by his hand, and its best you never ever, under any circumstances look up pictures of his crimes on the internet. It'll give you nightmares.
"I swear, depressed people might actually want to fix themselves if you put him in front of them." one Muscle, named Tanggoro told me. He was the muscle that accompanied the most in this business, and like me, doesn't like Garafulzan very much, as a boss and as a person.
The both of us were outside the seafood restaurant owned by our boss, we were just chilling.
"The police doing everything they can to catch this guy?"
Tanggoro looks at me dumb founded. "Catch him? Are you serious? This isn't like America where you can get a hundred policemen in one city, and even if that was the case, unlikely they can get any info quicker. I mean, the police are still working on that Bistro case."
My stomach felt like it was dropped. "The Bistro Cannibal? Didn't they catch him just a few hours after he, you know."
"Dude, he ate not one, but two people. Ate them! The police are spending time to question him because of his act, like from a freaking horror movie man! Man, this is messed up. First that Cannibal, and now Poultry Boy." He had his hand to his forehead. "Even if I didn't work for Garafulzan, he could be out there."
"Who? Poultry Boy?" I asked. He nodded.
"I don't normally get into these kinds of things, but I got a theory: maybe somebody hired him."
"You really think so? What about the victims?"
"I don't normally look into these kinds of things, but I've done some research, and well, the ones he killed so far, they did a big wrong. First was a conman, second was a cheating wife, third was a thief, fourth, you know."
"So you think he's a hitman?"
"Either that or he's watched way too many vigilante movies." Tanggoro exclaimed. "Hell, I'd bet my eye that he's heard of all of us." He stopped, as he heard his phone ring. His eyes widened. "Crap"
I looked over his phone. There was a message.
"Garafulzan handing out 5 million rupiah to whoever can kill Poultry Boy."
"5 Million?"
"He's gone crazy now." Tanggoro said. "Poultry Boy killed one of our own under our nose. He's probably gotten the guy he killed to talk before he did his thing. He probably knows about all of us."
My heart dropped as well. Poultry Boy could go after me if he wanted to, even if I was just a Collector.
"Normally I ain't afraid of people that I'd go out on anyone who doesn't pay up for protection, but Poultry Boy? Not even all the gold in the world would have me step an inch towards him." Tanggoro said as he stood up. "I think I'm going to bail man. Get a new name, new life."
"Look I get it and I'd do the same as you, but we have zero idea where he is. He could be anywhere."
As soon as I said that, Tanggoro and I were silent, the both of us looked around our surroundings. The people in the restaurant, the people passing by us, the cars that were parked.
He literally could be anywhere.
"Hey." He called me. "I think it's official. I'm leaving town."
***
Days had passed after Garafulzan told us about the current "problem" with our business. In that time, Poultry Boy added another 2 people to his body count. Those 2 people were one collector and one muscle from Garafulzan's operation. The sun was starting to get down, and I visited him in his office after carefully collecting another payment from a business. He was pissed off, and was sweaty at the same time.
"Tanggoro bailed out of town. Yeah good luck with that!" Garafulzan asked. "He's still screwed either way, you think the cops would think of him as a normal everyday man, after working for me longer than you?"
I shook my head.
"Nah, Tanggoro's screwed, and he let fear get the best of him, but not the others, I'm glad some people want to stay here and continue the business, even protect me from Poultry Boy if the guy puts me on his hit list. What about you?" Garafulzan looked at me. "Would you do the same?"
I looked at him? "Protect you?"
"Look, I know you probably hate me for bringing you into this business." He wasn't wrong there. "But let me say I'm grateful for keeping your mouth shut so far, and that you've helped me collect. I'm asking is for you to play a part in protecting me, cause I really do believe Poultry Boy's got something against me. He killed three of my men! Three! Butchered them like pieces of meat, even sent me their pieces through the mail. Mail! This guy ain't human. Probably rejected his humanity as soon as he started hating people who do a big wrong."
I considered my options, and I was thinking about my wife and my parents.
Garafulzan spoke again. "How about a deal. A special deal just for you. You kill him, and not only the money's yours, but I'll be sure the police will never suspect you've ever even met me for good."
Do I risk and die at the hands of a serial killer, or do I go up against him for the sake of money and freedom?
"Look, you think about it, but don't think too long." Tomorrow, I'll need an answer. In the meantime, how about I drive you home? Your place is on the way to my place right?"
I looked at him and then my phone. "Could I make a call first?"
"Fine, but hurry up, cause I ain't going to fall asleep in this place. I wouldn't want a freaking cleaver or knife near my throat."
Garafulzan and I drove alone in the dark, and I was staring at the side of the run, thinking about my wife and my parents, the situation I was in, and Poultry Boy himself. In the trunk was the 5 million rupiahs Garafulzan wanted to give away to whoever can kill Poultry Boy, but he has yet to give it away. Personally, I think Garafulzan's over his head.
You don't go head to head with a guy like Poultry Boy, you just don't.
Garafulzan took a detour. The main roads were crowded, and the alternative way to my place was through a village leading up to an overpass. We passed through the village. At this point the place was so dark that if you drove here without lights, you'd be blinded by the dark literally. Nobody was outside, and while I wasn't surprised, Garafulzan looked disturbed. My guess is the pressure of the police but also Poultry Boy.
As we were about to go past the overpass, a car was on the opposite side of the road, and it turned towards us. The car hit the front of Garafulzan's car. Small shards of metal and glass were flying around, and I covered my eyes with my arms. My head felt like it was banging, as I looked to my left and saw a figure dragging out Garafulzan, who was yelling out "No!" numerous times.
I heard a large slash as the figure was holding something in its hand. Soon I realized it was a cleaver.
Garafulzan shouted. "You! I've been looking all over for-". He stopped talking as soon as the cleaver was brought upon him once more.
Soon the figure came to my side of the car and dragged me out before shoving me to the ground near Garafulzan's body,
Garafulzan had his head split open, and I could see a tiny bit of what seem to be his brain. The upper half of his suit was also covered in blood.
I looked up to the figure and attacker. I had a good guess who it was.
"Poultry Boy." I said to his face. By "face", I mean covered face. He had a black sack like mask on him, with a tip at the end. The guy looks like a villain from horror movies, with him wearing a red shirt (my guess is that his victims blood will camouflage with it) and dark blue suspenders. I took a deep breath as he was about to swing the cleaver at me,
He stopped just before the cleaver made contact with my forehead. I let out a large breath.
He lent out his left hand to help me up.
I had made a deal with him yesterday, online. I overheard rumors among the small time criminals, in which you could talk to Poultry Boy and have him take out someone for you, for a certain price. Of course with how strict the internet was, DarkDoor.tor was the best option to do so. I had founded him on a website for hitmen, and he listed himself there. I told him about situation with Garafulzan and how I wanted him out of his business, which I was dragged into. Poultry Boy agreed to do it for information and a price.
I made a call to him about where Garafulzan and I were going, including the alternative route. Surprisingly he found a way to get up in front before he crashed into us front on. As for the price I was willing to pay him, well, when Garafulzan mentioned that five million rupiah reward, I figured that might be more than enough.
"Money's in the trunk." I told Poultry Boy who did so, and then put it at the back of his car. I meanwhile was still holding the side of my head, before looking at Garafulzan's dead body.
"Hey." I called out to Poultry Boy. "You'll probably behead me for this, but can you give me a ride home? I live just up that road."
Poultry Boy gave me a nod. I sighed and followed him to his car, sat in the passenger seat.
He was surprisingly willing to listen to my directions, and eventually we stopped at my home. I could see from here that the lights were on, and I could feel my wife and my parents' presence.
I felt a nudge from Poultry Boy, and I was startled. Turning back to him slowly, I noticed he was holding something in his left hand.
"For me?" I asked as he handed me a piece of fresh boneless chicken. "T-Thanks." I stood out the car, before he nodded at me and then eventually drove away. After just a few seconds, he was gone from my sight.
I sighed in relief, realizing I escaped his radar.
But more importantly, I was free from Garafulzan, for good.