Al was here to get a haircut. He wanted to avoid the cops until he came up with a proper solution. However, things did not go as planned and trouble came looking for him.
The cops were out of their cars and headed towards the barber shop. The men with guns were actually local gangsters. They were just patrolling their territory. One of them came forward and tried to stop the policeman.
' You are not gonna enter, this is my turf.... '
The cop looked at him. He grabbed his hand and moved it aside. The men took out their guns but their leader stopped them. There were two cops. Their badges showed their names as Rigz and Bares. Rigz came forward after Bares was stopped by the gangster.
' we die and there will be more cops.... They will smoke you out like the rats you are... You die... And .... there is no one coming after us.... Because this is all of you... You idiots make it easier for us.... Gathering in one place.. sticking to each other like candy sticks to a teeth.... We could kill you with a fucking grenade... All of you... '
The gangster moved aside and they went into the shop. It turns out Bares could not speak. So Rigz had to do all the talking. He looked at the barber.
' Everything alright....? ....
The barber was glad to see the cop.
' Yes.... everything is fine...
' who is this young fellow..?.... I haven't seen him around... I know all these punks...
Just then one of the you gee boys from the gang shouted from behind.
' That is Marky.... My man.... '
Al turned towards the cop, scared and sweating.
' Is there a problem officer?'
They heard this line and the whole room started to laugh. Even the barber, who had been sweating for sometime now.
Rigz also began to smile.
' No son.... everything is fine.... You go get a nice cut... '
Al turned the other way and the barber continued trimming his hair. Rigz glared at the boys.
' You guys .... You are not helping this business..... Get out of the shop and... Try to educate yourself for change..... Selling drugs ain't no bussiness.... Get a real job....
The leader began to speak again.
' And become a cop like you.... Shoot little boys like us...
Rigz was used to comments like these...
' Little boys huh.... ? A grown man.... Selling drugs.... Is a criminal to me....
The gangsters were mad but they knew what was going to happen if they shot anyone of these officers.
' You lucky there are so many of you....
Rigz and Bares asked them to leave the shop. The gang dispersed.
' Hey... If anything happens,call me.... This sector hasn't been safe the last couple of months.... We found a young man dead in the store...shot straight through the chest.... We have caught the man who shot him but it won't bring him back... Don't hesitate.... Just call....'
The policeman seemed to be concerned about this sector and looked as if he really wanted to make a difference.
' These young ones come around every two or three days and scare any customers that come my way... I cannot take it anymore.... It is not just me... Every store in this line is terrified.... '
The policemen were really helpful.
' Like I said, call me.... And I will talk to the other stores as well...'
The cities were divided into sectors and they were placed under the commands of police squads. Certain residential areas were better than the others and some of the sectors were high crime zones. It turns out that this sector actually was a high crime zone.
Al overheard what was being said. He was glad ge wasn't caught but he realised that it might just be a matter of time before his partner tells the whole story. Al thought to himself.
' I should have dealt with him when I had the chance...'
The naked man was still here...
' You slipped.... And now you are about to fall.... They will hang you.... '
' not that easily....
The policeman left and the barber went back to cutting his hair.
' how long do you want them?'
Al looked into the mirror and realised that he wasn't fond of these hair.
' Just... Get rid of them... All of them...'
The barber changed his shaver and removed every bit if hair over his head and his face. Al could finally see his face clearly. He was stronger, now. He could choose to become and athlete or a study all over again. Become a doctor. For the first time he was not thinking of the past. He was only concerned with the future but he was worried that he might get caught.
' worried you'll get caught?
Al didn't bother answering the naked man.
'How much?'
The barber looked at Al and smiled.
' It's on the house....'
He thanked the barber and got out of the shop. Just as he stepped out of the shop a man was standing beside the doorway. It was the leader. All the others had left.
' So Swill got caught?'
Al tried to answer as calmly as possible hut he derived a lot of confidence from the fact that he was bigger than the man standing in front of him.
' Yeah... We couldn't make it...'
The man looked up at him. He placed his hand on his shoulder.
' I am sorry about swill.... Loosing your brother to the cops.... '
Al was shocked to learn that they were both brothers. The man left and went into an alleyway. Al knew he had to get away from this place as quickly as possible. He wanted to leave but he knew that the residential areas had better security. His beard and shaving was not going to help him for long.
He realised that he might not have much time. The cops could get him at any time. He did not want to go back to the park. He wanted to see this problem through. He went back into the barber shop and asked if he could get a spare room.
' I do have a room but it isn't much…'
The barber was happy to help.
' anything will do… '
The barber took him upstairs to the room. It was old and dusty but it had a roof and was warm.
' How much do I owe you for it?'
' It is not big deal.. Just help out at the shop every once in a while…. '
' with what?'
' Cleaning and stuff….'
Al went in decided to dust the room. He had lived without a roof for a while now and he had not realised that people were offering this much for free. He had begun to change. Slowly but surely.
The naked man reappeared again. He went away without a trace and then reappeared.
' Thought of a plan yet?'
Al was tired of him and asked again.
' Who are you? And what the fuck do you want from me?'
' I don't see any harm in telling you…. I am a being who gives people death…. Or used to give them death ….
Al looked at him with confusion on his face.
' I am free now…. I can do whatever I want… just like I transferred your soul into another person…. I tried to help you and….. you are one of the very few men who chose not to kill the person who killed them…. But rare does not always mean good…. '
Al had so many questions right now…
' Other men like me….and what about death…Who are you?'
' I told you
… It is beyond you… you can call me Regulus….'
' then why did you do this to me?'
' because I am free '
Al had not gotten any answers but he realised that he had been given another chance. Whatever this being was, he was arrogant and powerful.
' Are you going to help me?'
' I am not going to… I am free…'
Regulus was not at all concerned about the condition of Al. All he cared about was his own freedom.
' Are there others like me? How are they doing?'
' Well there are others like you…. Some of you sit at tha top and the rest just never got out of the gutter… like you…'
He suddenly vanished.
Al dusted his bed and sat on it. He was starting to get hungry. Just then the barber knocked on the door. The barber was there with food.
He sat down and Al realised that it had a long time since he had eaten such a meal.
' Eat up… you need to work tomorrow….'
Al looked at the photographs on the wall. He looked at them. There was a young boy in those pictures.
' That is my son…. '
Al realised through his tone that it was not somet6 he should ask but he was curious.
' what happened to him?'
' He…. He was a member of that gang….. it was all fun and games until the police shot one of them…. '
Al did not ask any further. The meal was delicious and after they were done. He left the room.
' I will see you tomorrow…..'
Al had come from a better place, from a bigger city. His household was well off and they had plenty to eat but he left. He wanted to runaway from that life of misery. He had plenty to eat but he also had plenty to cry about. It was not so over good here. The drought had killed many families before the Authority took action.
' Fathers burying their sons…. It should be the other way around…'
While Al was asleep at night. He heard gunshots in the street. He got up and ran into the hallway to see what was going on. He lived on the first floor so he had to climb down the stairs but just as he had climbed down the street, he saw a group of boys with guns and in front of them was the body of the barber. He was already dead.
' There he is, boys… '
They were the same gangsters from the morning. Al ran up the stairs and locked the door. Then he used the telephone to call the cops. He had notes the number earlier as he realised that this was not a kisafe neighborhood.He could still save himself.
The boys were looking through the other rooms and just as he had dialied the number. The door started banging. The boys were trying to break the door.
' They are here…. In sector 22… please help…. '
The door was sturdy and Al dragged his bed close to the door to stop it from opening.
There was no sign of Regulus nor the cops. Although he never thought that Regulus could help him but he still was hoping if there was something he could do. He was free after all.
Just then he appeared out of nowhere.
' This time… there is no saving you… just give up… let them do the honours…. '
Al looked at him and smiled. Just then the police sirens started to sound. They were here.
Regulus was really pissed. He felt that he was humiliated.
' Saved by the Siren….. lucky boy… '
The police came in heavy artillery snd heavily armed men entered the store killing about half a dozen men. The shots were really loud.
' Open the door…. Or….'
The police were really aggressive but Al handled the situation calmly unlike before.
' I am the one who called you…'
He removed the bed and he was safely escorted out if the building. On the way out he saw the brains and guts of all those who had been killed.
Rigz was waiting for them in front of the store.
' These punks….. now look at them…. Half of them are dead…. Bastards…. '
Another one of the police ofiicers came forward. Apparently he was a junior.
' Sir, they say that there was a hit on this person named Mark…. They don't know why'
Rigz looked at Al/mark.
' Why are they looking for you? '
' I don't know….
Rigz was not satisfied but he decided to take Al with him to the station.
' who put a hit on him?...'
' Sir they say it was some guy named Lars….. '
' I know that guy…. He is the reason my partner can't speak…'
Just then the body of the barbed was being taken to ths morgue. He prayed for the barber. He was an old acquaintance of his.
' I wish you find peace where you are going…'
The naked man stood beside Al. He had been here the whole time.
' Oh he sure will find peace… '
He laughed as he uttered these words. Al was angered at his words. The barber was a good man. He was one of the very few men he had known to be good.
They got into the car and Al was taken to the station whereas the rest of the gang was taken to another site.
Al was curious and he never could restrain himself.
' Where are they going?'
' They are going to the camps….. for reducation…'
Al didn't knew that. He was sure that the camps were no longer operational. They were just a thing of the oast that mothers used to scare ths childern with. The camps were a part of the disciplinary action in and around the central. They were facilities made to retrain the people who had supposedly gone astray.
They were operational some hundred years ago. Al had no time to worry about others. He could be killed anytime now. He was a target.
As they got to the police station which was close by. The police atarted to interrogate him.
' He seems to know you…. How do you not know him?'
' I said I never saw him….'
Rigz was himself questioning Al.
' Look here. I lost a good friend today…' I cannot let you go like this…'