"Can I get a ride down too?" The guard who I let live begs. I'd forgotten he was here.
"Who's he?"
"I'm Mike! I was the one guard who let you kill Ms.Solaine! I dropped my gun and everything!" Let me?
"So, he's a friend?" Vilma asks.
"No. Mike neglected to mention that he already tried shooting at me."
"So, he's an enemy!" Vilma cracks her knuckles and steps forward.
"Yes, but he's not important enough to waste time on."
"Come on, that wasn't personal! Can't you help a guy out?" He begs.
"Nope, you're not our problem. Find some other way down." I climb onto Vilma's back, securing myself around her stony shoulders with one arm and keeping the kid safe with my other.
"Have a nice climb down Mike!" Vilma waves as she starts her descent while he gives us a broken stare.
The trip down is as uneventful as our first climb up. We hop through the hole into the VIP apartment where there's seemingly no trace of the two men that were here beforehand. They could've escaped, or they could still be hiding in the bathroom. Whichever it is, is none of my concern.
Back through the hallway we tore through, maybe one or two of the bodies have disappeared. They probably recovered from Vilma's blunt hands and ran away. The elevator sinks at my request for the ground floor.
"Can we stop for headache medicine for Miss Melanie? I want to give it to her as a gift!" One look from me erases the idea from her mind. She pouts her lip and folds her arms. "Fine."
The walls of the elevator reveal the party we'd seen earlier. The dance floor is dying through the glass. Only a scant number of people still remain. I was furious looking at it before, but now it's a mirror into my future. The tower is vacant. No one to man all its operations and workers. Bianca was blinded by wealth and spending money, and somehow even she could run this place. I'll take this poorly managed goldmine and solidify the city as my own.
The ground floor is nearly silent when we get back. It must be getting near closing time for the club. But then, something crashes on the ground. My ears lead me to the source, finding the butler who greeted us has dropped a glass vase.
But he's not reaching to pick it up. Instead, his eyes won't break away from the three of us. His springy head vibrates while he silently panics
"Bye, butler guy!" Vilma waves as we cross him.
I stop a few paces from the door and turn to him. "Your boss is dead, but I'm guessing you knew that already. If you're here tomorrow and still want your job you're hired. If you want to try to cling to her memory and attempt to kill me, I'll send you on a trip to see her. Pass the message on to every person working in this tower.
The brisk moonlit air congratulates us when we get out and our ride back to my bar is still patiently waiting, although a ticket is resting underneath the windshield.
Darrion's head rests on the wheel, asleep after waiting for us for a little over half an hour. I can't blame him. He should be in school right now.
After waking our sleepy chauffeur and returning back to the bar's front, my key clicks the locked door open, and our three pairs of weary feet plus the boy on Vilma's back cross into my home.
"Hm... I thought I locked the-" Kristie yawns, and then her eyes tear open at the sight of me. Oh! You're back sir!" She says, standing at attention.
"Calm down Kristie. You can go back to sleep. I'm about to join you in a minute."
"Wait what about going back to Miss Melanie!?" Vilma cried.
"It's 3 am and your driver is drained. You're more likely to get in a car accident than get back to Mel."
"But-"
"And you want your dress fixed before you see her right? I'll have Kristie see what she can do about it in the morning. You can do something about that right?"
Kristie takes one look at the wounded dress coated in splatters of other's blood and smiles at me. "I'll try sir." I know you will. I keep you around not because you're successful, but because you at least try.
"Good, it's been a long day, and everyone needs sleep. I'll grab something for you to change into Vilma and we'll see what Kristie can do about your dress in the morning."
Laura pops her head out of the backroom, looking surprisingly bubbly despite the time. The flowing tee she stole from my closet eclipses her shorts.
"Where are they going to sleep?" She rests her head on the bar counter staring at me.
"On the floor out here or something." A heavy yawn puffs out my chest. "I don't care where they do it, I'm going to my bed."
"What if they slept with us?"
"It... has been a while since I've slept on a bed." Kristie yawns.
"No…" Laura, what are you doing?
"Kristie works so hard, Vilma worked just as hard as you today, and it'd just be cruel to leave a child out here. We can make space."
"Sleep... in the same bed... as-" A thin layer of red flushes Vilma's face.
"That's not happening. If you want to come with me Laura you can, but the rest of them are off-limits."
"But Arthur!" Laura begs, peering her hazel eyes into my soul.
"Don't look at me like that Laura! I said no and that is-!"
How did we get here? Why is Kristie splayed at the foot of the bed with the boy curled on her lap like a cat? Why is Vilma's gigantic self taking up seventy percent of my bed!? And I'm normally fine with Laura sleeping in here, but now I'm sandwiched between her and Vilma! The only one who did listen to me is the one who physically can't! Darrion decided to sleep on his own on the bar floor. Why couldn't anyone else be like him!?
Ugh- It's too damn hot. Kristie's body on my foot is cutting off the circulation. And Vilma's snoring is shaking the bed!
This room isn't made for this many people. I should grab my gun, wake everyone up, and kick them out. Then maybe I can get some sleep. But… I'm too tired for this. I'll handle it all... in the morning.