How To Be A Murderer

Sucre

Oh shit! I can’t move. I can’t feel my hands.

My legs! Oh my God! Where am I?

“Ooh… what’s happening?” I gasped as ice-cold water poured over me, shocking me awake.

I coughed, spitting out the water that had gotten into my mouth.

Shaking my head to clear my vision, I felt a sharp pain pulse through my skull.

“Why am I tied up?” I rhetorically asked myself, struggling to breathe.

I could barely see in the dimly lit room, filled with the stench of sweat, blood, and cigarettes.

Wait! Someone’s approaching.

The sound of heavy boots thudded against the wooden floor, growing louder with every step.

A towering, muscular man stopped in front of me, his broad frame blocked out the weak light hanging above.

He stared down at me, his eyes burning with anger.

“You ready to talk now?” His voice was rough, impatient.

“I don’t know what the hell you want”, I sobbed.

A resounding slap swayed my head to the side, sending thick saliva trickling from my mouth.

I groaned in pain, blinking rapidly.

Laughter echoed from the dark corners of the room.

I knew we were not alone. Those savages!

They were watching, scheming, waiting for me to break.

“Lies,” another voice sneered. “We know you’ve been sniffing around, talking to people you shouldn’t be. Who sent you?”

“No one. I swear, I don’t work for anyone.”

I coughed, struggling for breath before letting out a cry as a fresh wave of pain shot through my ribs.

The man raised his fist, ready to strike me again, when a voice called out from behind, “Wait.”

This must be my savior! Whoever he was, I needed him to stay by my side. Surely, he was different from the monsters in the room.

As he stepped forward, the atmosphere shifted.

The once-jeering voices fell silent. The huge man before me stepped aside as that mysterious figure emerged from the shadows.

"Otto."

The shadows of the men in the room bowed slightly as they murmured his name.

Just hearing it made my stomach tighten.

Was this really the Otto? The most feared mafia boss on campus? The president of the Student Union Government?

With everything I had heard about him, I knew there was no way I was leaving that basement alive.

He stood in a crisp black suit, his jet-silver hair slicked back. As he stepped closer, his ever-watchful eyes assessed me, calculating.

He leaned forward and gently brushed my lips with his thumb, tilting his head like he was admiring me.

“I’ll call this one Pretty Boy,” he declared.

Laughter erupted from the other cartel members.

Suddenly, his hand held my neck, gripping it firmly. With the other hand, he tapped my cheek twice.

“Who are you working for?”

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. “No one. I don’t know what you want from me.”

Otto smiled, rubbing his chin.

“I believe him. Take him to the meeting room,” he signaled with his hand.

Two men stepped forward, untying me before leading me past Otto.

“You work for me now,” Otto said, his voice echoing in the background.

“Wait, what? What did you mean I work for you?” I stammered.

He turned to face me as the men carrying me into the room halted.

“You’ve got heart. And I can use a man like you.” His gaze hardened.

“But first, you must explain to me how you solved the algorithm.”

He stood for a moment staring at the others in the basement before walking into the room where I was held.

Panic surged through me as I scanned the room looking for possible exit points or whatever could pass as a weapon.

I was a nervous wreck.

I couldn’t help but notice liters of paper all over the floor close to the waste bin in the room. These papers were the exact same size as the one that got me here in the first place.

I’ll be damned if I ever touch them again.

What could be the usefulness of these papers anyway? Why is it so important to him? What problem have I got myself into just solving the errors on that paper?

“Take off his shirt,” Otto ordered as he entered the room and poured himself a glass of whiskey.

I hesitated, trying to shake off his men but I was overpowered.

Now I was without a shirt. I felt naked being in a room with men who were fully dressed.

“Pretty boy, I’m not going to hurt you. What you did to the algorithm has launched us forward by many years,” Otto said, smiling as he took a gulp of whiskey.

“So tell me, how did the most coveted piece of information on campus end up in your possession, and how were you able to remodel and solve it?” Otto asked, clutching his beard as he sank into his leather chair.

“Speak up!” one of the men beside me roared into my ears, clenching his fists.

“I…”, looking to my left and then to my right in fear, my heart pacing so fast.  

“I was walking home after studying in class that night when I heard loud voices arguing up ahead. By the time I got to the spot, the men were already gone. Then, I saw a crumpled piece of paper lying on the floor.”

I paused, looking at Otto’s curious face.

“Go on, boy!” another man shouted as he entered the room.

My hands trembled as I spoke. I could barely even hear myself.

“I… I picked up the paper and kept tossing it in my hand as I walked. I swear, I didn’t know what was in it.”

The room grew suffocatingly silent.

The air thick with cigarette smoke and tension.

What had started as a small gathering of four had swelled into a room full of hardened men, their eyes locked onto me like predators sizing up prey.

I swallowed hard and continued.

“When I finally looked at it and spread it out under the light, I saw schematics of what resembled campus security layouts, power grid details, and shuttle schedules. I... I didn’t know who dropped it, but I corrected the mistakes I found. Two days later, I brought it back to the place where I had found it, hoping to discover who had lost it. I swear, I had no other motives.”

My voice wavered as I looked from one man to the next, searching for a hint of mercy.

Instead, I found only cold reactions.

Taking his time to think carefully, Otto leaned back in his leather chair, rhythmically tapping his index finger on the desk before him. Then, with a sudden motion, he pushed himself up, his sharp gaze never leaving me.

“Look, pretty boy.”

His voice was calm, yet carried a weight that pressed down on my chest.

“I’ll need you to work your magic fingers on these schematics every week when they’re produced.”

Otto strode toward me, his arms wide as if welcoming a long-lost brother.

“You’re a part of us now. Welcome to the family.”

Wait, what? Welcome to the family? What did he mean?

Scattered applause and murmurs filled the room. I felt a dozen eyes on me, waiting for my reaction.

I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.

I was literally frozen as I stood there contemplating what he meant, watching his arms spread wide open. Waiting for my embrace.

When he saw that I didn’t move, he approached and hugged me tightly.

Then, he kissed my cheek and spanked my ass.

“You’re free to go.” He pointed toward the door.

I thought I hadn’t heard properly.

“That’s it?” I asked, a wave of relief surged though me.

He exhaled softly and nodded, a cunning smile spread across his lips as he watched me walk toward the exit.

I was overjoyed as I walked towards my freedom - my plan had succeeded.

I could barely contain my excitement as one of his men gestured toward my phone and wallet, which lay on the table.

I was just about to pick them up when his voice broke the silence.

"But first, you have to prove your loyalty, pretty boy. You have to come with me to my private chambers," he said, still smiling as he walked into the corridor.