"Fucking bitch…!" the old man screamed hysterically, the girl's stomping broke the testicles under his underwear. His screams were getting louder and sadder. "You fucking dog! You… you broke my egg, you damn bitch!"
"You're the dog!" the girl replied and kicked the old man again and again. Every word that comes out of her mouth always accompanies every kick. "You already fucked me–"
"Stop it!" the pimp embraced the mad girl and dragged her away from the old man. "That's enough!"
Of course, he was more worried about the girl, there were still many customers to serve—both men and women.
"Hey," he turned to his two men. "Get rid of that bastard!"
"Let go of me…!" The girl's voice could still be heard over the pounding music even though the person herself was no longer in sight. "I will kill that old bastard…!"
The beautiful, half-naked bodies returned to their duties. With graceful gestures, they waved, calling out to the men passing by in spoiled voices.
Two big men took the hand of the old man who was about to pass out. They dragged him toward a canal, twenty meters beside the brothel. Fresh blood flowed from the groin of an old man, from a ruptured testicle.
Dharma continued after being blocked for a while. He turned to the right side of the pleasure vendor building. From behind him, Dharma heard the sound of a large object splashing into the canal. Well, of course, it must be the old man who the two big men threw.
Again Dharma had to be jostled amid the other crowds. On the narrow shoulder of the road, lined the stalls of food vendors. The thin smoke from the grilled meat mingled with the cigarette smoke from several lips. The distinctive aroma of grilled meat is so appetizing.
Dharma frowned. He will not be tempted by the aroma that tickles his sense of smell. He knew for sure. The meats with that tantalizing aroma were not beef, buffalo, pork, or other animals.
He could almost confirm, ninety-nine percent, that the meat used by the traders was human flesh.
"I'm not crazy to be a cannibal yet," Dharma muttered as if cursing the situation itself.
Out of the crowd, Dharma continued his brisk pace. At the end of the busy road, the sea breeze greeted him. He turned to the right, in the distance, separated from the light of the other buildings, Dharma smiled faintly at the one building on the far.
"Yan," Cinnong moved her head slightly pointing at someone on the left.
Ryan turned, Dharma was getting closer to them. "He's here…" he muttered without turning around.
Cinnong chuckled, perfectly understanding that Ryan was in a slightly anxious state. Of course, about the bug that he planted into the gadget that was still attached to his left hand. Cinnong climbed onto the chameleon, sitting casually on it.
"How is it going?" Dharma asked once he was near tp Ryan and Cinnong. "Everything in good condition?"
Ryan took off the gadget in his left hand, rocked it for a moment, then gave it to Dharma.
"Excellent!" Dharma accepted the gadget along with the earphone. "Just like a new one."
Click!
"Well, the damage wasn't too bad." Ryan glanced at Cinnong and winked. Cinnong had to hide her smile.
Dharma double-checked all the features and functions of his gadget. Attach the earphone to his right ear. Fiddling with virtual screens.
During Dharma re-checking the gadget that time Ryan always looked at Cinnong. Both were equally tense. They can only relax after Dharma smiles with satisfaction. Cinnong gave Ryan a thumbs up.
Ryan smiled wryly, turned his back, and looked down.
Cinnong descended from the top of the chameleon, "So?" she glances at Dharma.
Dharma shook his head weakly, then took out a box of food from the pocket of the typical army pants he was wearing, right side. "There are no gaps, Nong."
Dharma throws the ration box at Ryan.
Ryan greeted, eyeing the box for a moment. He snorted at the F logo on one side of the box.
"You are a captain, sir. Can't you do something? Doing the same for us?" said Cinnong as she folded her arms across her chest. "Or, maybe, you'd rather see us just accept our fate, helpless, don't you?"
For a moment, Dharma's mouth opened as if he wanted to say something, but not a word came out of his mouth. He let out a long sigh.
"I'm just the dog of the Lord of Pangandaran," Dharma said in a flat tone as he turned off the hologram light on his gadget. Then, with his left hand, he took out a box of food from the pocket on the left side of his pants. He gave the box to Cinnong.
Cinnong snorted at receiving a gift from Dharma. The girl flipped through the food box with a look that conveyed disappointment. "Our lives are nothing more than this box of rations," she said and glanced at Ryan.
Ryan sneered with his shoulders raised. Then, he just sat down on an old bench and opened the lid of the can of food in his hand. He smiled blandly.
"So ironic," he said half inaudibly.
The lunch box contains sliced fish meat, cooked rice, and pieces of preserved vegetables. Without washing his hands, Ryan ate the food just like that.
"Stupid!" Cinnong laughed softly.
Well, food like that is very rare for them. It was a luxury for the masses to be able to eat food belonging to the rulers, especially those from the Federation.
"Come on, Nong. Don't judge me for this!"
Dharma knows for sure that Cinnong is very disappointed, especially with Ryan himself even though the man doesn't show all that.
"I agreed to fly their spaceship because they promised to take my wife and my daughter with me."
"So it's true?" Ryan said in his enjoyment of eating the delicious food, "the bastards are going to leave Earth?" Dharma nodded. Ryan continued, "When?"
"Tomorrow, in three days, a week—I don't know. I'm not sure."
Dharma removes a bottle from the hook of the wide belt around his waist. Military drink bottles. Then gave the bottle to Ryan.
"Take that as a bonus," he said.
One of Ryan's eyebrows rose higher than the others. He wasn't sure what was in the bottle.
"Sweet tea," Dharma said in response to Ryan's confusion. "How long haven't you guys enjoyed it?" and after that, Dharma left while raising one hand.
Ryan chuckled softly as he shook his head, so did Cinnong.
Well, that drink too, including the elite drink for them. Being able to eat food rations, plus a glass of sweet tea on this day, was like getting a diamond boulder. Something luxurious.
***
TO BE CONTINUED ...