"Amelia, Amelia, wake up" Noria's voice echoed in her ears, as she woke up.
Lucas commented, "I think she's dead."
"Naw, not yet Amelia is one of the strong ones."
The morning sunlight coming through the window almost blinded her, as she raised into a sitting position on the hospital bed. The cover sheet uncovered the upper part of her body revealing her naked breast. It seemed she wasn't wearing anything at all.
Amelia looked up and saw Tokito and Lucas standing next to her bed, while Noria sat on its edge. Amelia, who was still confused by the situation, said, "What makes you think I'm dead?"
"Yesterday, we found you crushed by a rock after the building collapsed. You and Lucas were both badly injured. Only your head was recovered and thankfully it was regenerating, somehow." Noria answered.
Amelia looked at her hand which was attached to drips and said, "Thankfully? You should have left me to die. I would have been better off."
"Stop speaking like that, you're only 66 years old." Noria replied.
"I've been here long enough, and I'm sick of this place." She replied as she looked out the window. Everyone went silent for a moment then Amelia spoke, "Did these two idiots give you a good report on the Debt Maker?"
"I was given a full report about it by Tokito. We're still deciding where to take things. However-"
Before Noria could continue the conversation, a woman rushed to the door and said, "Chief, we just received a troubling call from an unknown person, and we couldn't trace it."
Noria hastily walked out of the room, the woman also walked with her. While walking she spoke, "What did they say?"
"A man on the phone said he put a 14-million-dollar bounty on Turnner's head and that there are two F-22 fighter jets in bound for his location."
They entered the room with the big screens. Noria looked at the woman with perplexity, a touch of fright ran down her spine, then she looked at Gordon and said, "Gordon call Trent and tell him to bring in Turnner, Now!"
"Yes mam." Gordon replied, as he reached for the telephone on his desk. Then Noria said, "Get me Tunner's location on these screens."
"On it." a random guy replied.
Noria looked at the screen. The screen displayed an overhead view of a coffee shop and the location device showed that Turnner was in a coffee shop. She was a bit confused but asked, "How long until the jets arrive, which airbase did they depart from."
"We're not sure mam it depends on what air base they took off from."
Meanwhile, Trent received a call from Gordon. He answered and listened to what Gordon had to say, then after a short conversation. He declined the call and got up from the bench. He called to a guy in a dark blue suit and pants. He was waiting in line at a food van and said "We gotta go now Luther!"
Luther stayed in the line and said, "I'm coming now I already paid."
As he waited to cross the road Trent looked back and said, "We have to go now dude! I'll buy you one when we get back."
Luther hesitated then said, "Shit." as he ran across the road behind Trent. When they were both in the car. Trent quickly turned it on and stepped on the gas as he rushed to Turnner's location.
Turnner, however, sat calmly in a coffee shop. He was reading the newspaper while sipping tea. Death sat in the seat across from him. The TV in the shop was on. It was on a news channel.
A reporter stood outside the Hellingrad Insurance agency building giving a report, "Yesterday at 4:30 pm in the afternoon. The Hellingrad Insurance Agency building collapsed suddenly. The authorities are yet to identify what caused this, but by standers suspect it had something to do with the CornerStone Agency. In other news..."
"I don't know why, but I sense an impending Death. It will be sudden and violent."
Turnner looked at death and said, "I believe the Debt Maker has begun to make his move. So there's no reason to be idling by."
"You're finally gonna use my power?" she replied.
"Well, my previous plan required too many resources so using you would be the better option, though my only concern is the number of hearts you intend to take from me."
"What is it that you want me to do?"
"I want you to kill the Debt Maker. I can't do it due to his ability, and the same goes for all my available allies."
"So, what was your plan then? Anyway, he seems like another weak human. I'll take one of your hearts."
"Are you sure you can kill him? You don't even know his ability."
"I can end the fight the moment I touch him. There is no human on this planet who can kill me."
"Fair, let me ask you one more question though, are you in debt to anyone?"
"Not that I know of."
"Good." He replied, then he continued to read his newspaper.
Finally, Trent arrived at the coffee shop. He rushed out of the car, Luther following close behind him. The woman at the cash register became frightened when Trent and his associate barged inside. He looked around frantically until he noticed Turnner sitting Death was not there anymore. He walked into Turnner and said, "We need to go now."
"You finally came for me; I was wondering when they would send someone. No need to rush though, sit down and order a cup of coffee."
Trent became frustrated then said, "Listen there's a 14-million-dollar bounty on your head and there are two fighter jets on route to this location."
"Are they gonna blow up the place?"
"I'm not sure but as a person with immunity your safety is our priority whether you like it or not. So, you need to come."
"I'm sure this is the Debt Maker's doing, he's bluffing trust me."
"Dammit Turnner!" he raised his voice. Everyone in the shop looked at him suddenly, likely wondering why he was shouting. Trent noticed and lowered his voice saying, "Listen if you don't come you will be denying our protection which will disregard your Immunity, hence if anything happens to you, we won't be responsible."
"Are you threatening me?"
"This isn't a threat Turnner, and you know it."
"Hmm, fine let's go. I'm running out of time anyway."
Turnner walked out the building behind Trent and got in the car, then Trent turned on the car and drove off. After a while of driving, they arrived back at the agency. Both of them got out of the car and walked into the lobby. Trent was moving quickly, as he told Trunner, "We need to move fast at any point in time an assassin could attack you."
"You're not getting it, are you? No One's gonna attack me. There's no bounty on my head. This all the Debt Maker's doing."
Trent signaled to the front desk lady as they walked towards the elevator. While inside Trent continued, "I don't care about the Debt Maker's plan, your safety is priority, and I was ordered to bring you here."
Turnner sighed as they exited the elevator. He followed Trent for a while until they reached a room where Amelia, Lucas, Noria, Tokito and a few other contractors were. The room was empty but big about two Storeys high. In the middle was a big black box and it had a door on the front. The group were standing outside the door.
Noria who was speaking to the group noticed Trent and Turner, then said, "Good to see you Turnner we brought you in to ensure your safety."
"I am aware, but this is all the Debt maker's doing. I fear he may be taking a morbid approach to capturing me."
"Is this about you or the Theatom?"
"Both, you see the man we are dealing with is known as Peter Petroski. He puts people in debt then uses them to do his bidding. Around a decade ago I paid him to kill the Kenyan president and he decided to kill him during a state funeral the president would be attending.
Around 30 minutes into the ceremony a man pulled out a gun and shot the president in his head then turned the gun on himself. It was likely a lethal bullet since he and the president died shortly after. This is what makes him so dangerous and yet so useful in the criminal world."
"How does his ability work or do people simply do what he says if they are in debt?" Noria asked.
"From what I've heard. He made a contract with the Debt God. This contract follows the simple logic derived from the bible, 'The Borrower is a slave to the lender' which allows him to control anyone who comes under his debt regardless of their power or abilities.
So long as you owe him in any way you will become his slave. He may pay your bills, provide you with free items, services or simply spare you from death by orchestrating a scene where you should have died.
The debt Maker is also untouchable by those who owe more Debt than him. If you owe more Debt than the Debt Maker, none of your physical or non-physical attacks will affect him, no ability or mind control will do him anything."
"That makes sense, none of our attacks hit him." Amelia blurted out.
"How do we even kill this guy?" Tokito asked.
"You see I have a plan, but it's gonna require a few sacrifices-"
As he was talking one of Tokito's finger sliced in half, but no one noticed. As the sliced finger fell it degenerated while another one regenerated on his hand. In that moment the lights in the room turned off and so did the power. Immediately the exit light above the door came on and any emergency lights. Turnner saw this and said, "Oh dare I'm out of time."