Suddenly, I Am Rich

Gray’s breath was caught in his throat as he heard those words.

Before he could even think, he already started running. Gray took the stairs, the wood creaking under each stomp of his shoes. His heart slammed against his ribs as the voices became clearer in his ears.

”C’mon, kid. You don’t wanna make this worse. We’re not bad guys. We just don’t want anyone getting the wrong idea about your story. That’s all.” Another one chimed in.

Gray reached the second floor. The hallway was narrow and dim, lit only by a flickering overhead bulb that gave the peeling walls an eerie orange glow. He passed a door that hung half off its hinges.

Finally, he spotted it.

There was a door that was wide open. He quickly ran to it. And then, he saw the people in there.

There was one man wearing black slacks and a button-up shirt with his sleeves rolled up. He was standing near the entrance, looking irritated. There was a headset clipped to his collar.

Gray stopped just a few feet from the open doorway.

The hallway felt colder all of a sudden.

Gray’s body stiffened.

That guy wasn’t alone. He could feel it.

And he wasn’t stupid. He knew better than to barge in.

Gray’s breathing became shallow as he stepped back slightly. He pressed his shoulder against the wall beside the stairs. If he rushed in now, he’d be outnumbered.

He wasn’t armed, and he also wasn’t trained.

The most damage he could do was maybe throw a chair.

He glanced around. He had no weapons or a plan. He also had no idea what he was even going to say.

’What the hell am I doing?’

His hands curled into fists at his sides, and his teeth clenched. He couldn’t leave. He couldn’t walk away. But he just couldn’t go in either.

He needed a distraction.

Something.

Anything.

That’s when it happened.

BOOM!

A thud rang from downstairs. Then...

”ROME!!”

”YOU BASTARDS! HE’S OUR FRIEND!”

”YOU PICKED THE WRONG BLOCK TO MESS WITH!!”

Gray blinked in disbelief as the voices echoed up the stairwell. The shouts were followed by heavy footsteps that shook the old floorboards below.

”Oh god...” he muttered under his breath. ”They actually came.”

The man by the door suddenly tilted his head, as if hearing it too. His brows twitched. He reached up to press the side of his headset.

”...We’ve got company,” the man muttered, stepping into the hallway slightly and peering down the stairwell. ”Who the hell are these guys?”

Gray didn’t wait.

The second the man turned, he slipped around the corner and pressed himself flat to the wall just behind the doorframe.

Inside, he could hear the others moving.

There was more than one. There were probably three men in total.

”Just tell them you changed your mind, kid,” the voice said calmly. ”After that you’ll never see us again.”

Gray bit the inside of his cheek.

He heard a small, shaking voice reply.

”I don’t want to...” Rome.

Another voice, sharper this time. ”Then maybe we need to help you make the decision.”

Gray’s jaw tightened. His hands twitched at his sides. He was about to barge in but then...

”YOU FUCKERS!!”

CRASH!

One of the downstairs windows shattered completely. Then another roar followed.

”YOU THINK YOU CAN HURT ROME?! OVER OUR DEAD BODIES!!”

”YOU CAME INTO OUR TERRITORY AND STARTED SHIT?!”

”YOU DUMBASSES PICKED THE WRONG PERSON!”

The guy at the door spun back toward the hallway.

”Who the hell is—”

But he didn’t get to finish.

The four tattooed thugs appeared at the top of the stairs. They were panting and armed with whatever they could grab. One held a broomstick, another had a chair leg, the third had what looked like an old radio, and the fourth was holding a traffic cone.

Gray stepped aside instinctively as they barrelled past him.

”GET OUT OF HERE, YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!” one of them bellowed.

The man by the door stepped back in pure alarm as the four massive figures lunged at him. He became helpless.

Gray used it as a good opportunity. He slipped inside behind them, keeping low. He was just in time to see the suited men scrambling toward the broken window and fire escape, trying to escape.

Rome was backed into the far corner of the room, his hands clenched and shaking.

Gray ran toward him.

”You okay?” he said quickly.

Rome blinked at him, eyes wide.

”S-Sir!”

”Come on,” Gray grabbed his arm gently. ”We’re getting out of here.”

Silence ensued between them as Gray helped the man. They were already on the way out but the thugs weren’t done yet.

”WE GOT ONE OUT THE WINDOW!”

Another one cursed.

”THEY TOOK THE FANCY CAR!”

”SOMEONE CALL THE POLICE!”

”I THOUGHT YOU DID!”

”NO, I GOT TOO EXCITED AND FORGOT!”

Gray looked at them. Then at Rome.

”Are they always like that?”

Rome let out a short, shaky breath and then he laughed.

”Yeah,” he said, nodding slightly. ”They’re like that all the time.”

”Oh...,” Gray muttered under his breath.

The two of them made their way down the narrow stairs while the thugs behind them continued roaring like overgrown toddlers.

”COME BACK HERE, YOU COWARDS!”

”NO ONE THREATENS OUR PERSON AND LIVES!”

”WHERE DID THEY GO?! COME BACK!”

Gray didn’t even have the strength to react anymore. He kept Rome close, practically shielding him as they hit the first floor.

Just as they neared the exit, the distant sound of sirens started echoing through the neighborhood.

”That’s the cops?” Rome tensed up.

Gray nodded, glancing over his shoulder. ”

Yeah. I called them.”

A few seconds later, blue and red lights bounced off the graffiti walls outside. Tires screeched as two black-and-white patrol vehicles pulled up, and three officers rushed toward the entrance with hands on their belts.

”Police! Everyone step out of the building! Hands up!”

Rome froze, and Gray instinctively raised a hand to slow the cops down. ”We’re coming out!” he called. ”Victim and witness here!”

Rome stepped out beside him as the officers fanned into position.

The tallest cop stepped forward.

”You called this in?”

”Yes,” Gray said quickly. ”There were men inside. Three of them. They tried to threaten him.” He pointed at Rome.

[Urgent Mission Complete!]

[+2 Influence Earned!]

[+2 Power Earned!]

[Skill Unlocked: Eye of the Beholder (Active Skill)]

[Remaining Time for Main Mission: 5 Days]