The Negotiation

Chapter 14

A happy mood is taking a rest in Selina's heart. Her face can't hide the grin she's been wearing since she left the restaurant.

'I never expected to hear that I resemble Mom a lot.'

Suddenly, she stops walking and looks in the direction where Black Circle is located.

"Six days is too long, I have to get everything done tomorrow so that I could make time to look for my mom's resting place."

Selina changes her path and heads into the central area. She arrives at Axel's front door to advance the plan from the expected date.

Knock - knock!

"Axel, it's me, Selina."

Knock - knock - knock!

"Axel, open the door."

Selina didn't get any response from Axel, and to make it more suspicious, the door was open.

'For safety reasons, I will put this embarrassing mask on.'

"Axel, I'm going inside," Selina shouts while entering his house.

Steps by steps, Selina takes after entering the house, carefully observing the situation and trying to find Axel.

"Too quiet with no traces of fighting or killing. Only a few assassins can pull off this kind of task." Selina mumbles to herself.

BANG!

A gunshot from behind surprised her. The Goddess of Fortune seems to protect Selina from her negligence.

"Don't think I will get beaten twice in my house, you son of a bitch!!"

Sweats are dripping from Axel pale's skin. To make it worse, he has forced himself to walk, looking at how his knees are wobbling really hard.

Selina takes off her mask, "Axel, it's me! Drop your gun, Axel!"

"S-Selina?? What are you doing in my house and what’s with that lame flower mask?"

Selina steps closer to Axel. With a gentle push, she makes him lean against the wall and slide down on the floor, checking for possible wounds.

"Don't mind me being here and telling you what happened to you?"

"Someone was here before and beat me up into a pulp. Clearly, the fact that I am still alive could mean that the person wasn't an assassin from the Black Circle."

"Maybe that person let you live on purpose, to get something out of you. How does that person look?" Selina asks.

"A blonde woman came with a black mask. I thought it was you and I didn’t suspect her to come after me."

In her head, Selina is thinking about the reason why an assassin in the same category as Shadow & Light, has left the target alive.

"Axel, did you lose something that is really precious to you or contains a historical value for your family?"

"ALREADY DID!! I lost my sister." Axel shouts in anger at Selina’s question. "What else is supposed to be more precious than my one and only family."

‘He is hopeless in this current state. I doubt the head of the Brainer family leaves everything in his possession.’

 "Calm yourself down, Axel, and try to remember why your sister died. Is someone chasing after the two of you or have you met a suspicious person?"

Axel shakes his head, "Nothing comes to my mind about that. When I joined the police academy, my sister said she had planned to visit our grandpa's grave. Those are the last conversations we had, before her death."

"Sigh... We need to take care of the wound before you go to Black Circle tomorrow."

"What do you mean?" Axel looks confused from hearing Selina's words. "The initial plan was to get Raisen in the next week's appointment. Why are you forwarding the plan, Selina?"

"I need to find something, but before that, there is this promise to kill Raisen, blocking my way. So, the faster she dies, the earlier I can begin my search."

Axel was not interested in Selina's business, he just stood on his own and walked to the couch in the living room.

After he sits, Axel orders Selina to do something for him, "The first aid kit is in the top drawer in the kitchen. Go and get it for me."

Selina goes to the kitchen and comes back with the first aid kit box. She just took out a bottle of alcohol and poured it on the cotton until it was soaked.

"Stay still." Selina gives it to Axel.

He holds Selina's hand and says, "What do you think you are doing, Selina? That's way too much alcohol, don't you think?"

"Don't be a cry baby, Axel! Be grateful that I'm willing to treat your wound."

Axel takes the cotton from her hand and replaces it with a new one.

"Thanks, but I don't want my face to look worse than it already was. Give me a sec, and I will prepare myself to go to the Black Circle."

"Take your time, that bruise on your face needs to disappear, or else Raisen will get suspicious."

One idea pops up in Axel's mind after listening to Selina's warning.

"What if I let this wound be and pretended that it was the injury caused by Selina Hayes, one of the targets on Black Circle's list?"

"I'm impressed, Axel. You came up with a solution to turn your situation to your advantage."

"Alright, let's proceed to the next plan, Selina."

"I'll come again tomorrow at ten to pick you up with some mini bombs. Until then, have some long-comfortable rest."

***

The next day, Selina comes to pick up Axel. As she has said, necessary equipment, such as the promised mini bombs, is already keeping her partner company to the Black Circle.

"Stop! State your business, Mr. Brainer." The security guard asks.

"I am here to give elder Raisen the counteroffer for my inquiry. The reschedule for the appointment should be five days later, but I wish to advance it."

Hearing Axel’s explanation, the security guard grants him access to enter the Black Circle once again.

"Good morning, Mr. Brainer. I did not expect to see you again this quickly since your last visit." A greeting reaches out to Axel as he comes to the receptionist's desk.

With a make-up smile, Axel responded, "Morning too, and good to see you again, Dan. I come again to finish the negotiation with elder Raisen regarding my inquiry? Could you please tell me if she is available today?"

"I am not sure, Mr. Brainer. I need to make a call to check her availability to hold a sudden appointment as you have requested. Wait a moment, please."

The receptionist lifts a telephone in front of him and makes a call that seems to be dialed into Raise’s number.

"Yes, elder Raisen, I will inform Mr. Axel Brainer about the appointment he has requested."

He ends the call by looking at Axel with a smile and says, "Congratulations, Mr. Brainer. Your request to have an audience with elder Raisen has been accepted. Similar to the first appointment you had, she is waiting at the chamber. Do you need the same assistance to reach there Mr. Brainer?"

"I’m grateful for your offer, but I think I’ll be fine by myself. Besides, like you have said, it’s not that long since my last visit and I trust myself to remember the way to the chamber. See you later, Dan."

He simply nods a little to Axel, "Take care on your way there, Mr. Brainer and I wish you have a successful appointment this time."

By heading to the fifth floor like a few days ago, Axel continues his way to the chamber.

‘I need to at least place two bombs in this lift, but how can I be less suspicious on the security camera?’

While his mind is wandering around looking for an answer, he notices a pot underneath the floor buttons.

‘This could be the only way to hide the bombs.’

Thus, Axel is pretending to touch the floor button with his right hand while his left-hand throws two pieces of mini bombs from his pocket.

Ping!

The lift’s door has opened, showing the hallway that is connected to the chamber room. Axel walks out of the lift with heavy steps, his stiff senses giving him an extra fear while approaching the exact room he had entered days ago.

However, Selina’s words gave him the courage to stick another two bombs at the entrance of the chamber. She told him that the hallway was the only place that had no security cameras.

"Sigh... you’re going to be okay, Axel. Have faith in yourself. Please protect me, sister Jasmine." Axel mutters some words before entering the chamber.

Knock! Knock!

It's a pleasure to meet you again, elder Raisen, and please forgive me for coming without notice."

"Likewise, Mr. Brainer, please have a seat wherever you want and explain the purpose of your sudden appointment."

"Before I sit down, I’d like to pass this picture that I believe could be enough as my exchange request."

Axel steps closer. He takes out the picture from his coat and slides it down on the table into Raisen’s side. Then he sits down near her.

At first glance, Raisen is skeptical about seeing the picture in front of her, until she sees who was inside it.

"Who might this be, Mr. Brainer?" Raisen asks.

"Her name is Selina Hayes. You should know her better than I do because not long ago she was included on Black Circle’s target list."

Raisen slams the table full of anger, "IMPOSIBLE!! Selina Hayes was eliminated by our associate. There is no way a dead person could return from the afterlife."

Slowly, Axel takes the picture back into his coat and calmly answers Raisen’s accusation.

"I have no idea in the slightest of how she was alive, but I recognized her as Selina Hayes within a life and death fight. She didn’t stop spouting nonsense about me being sent to finish her according to your order and something about avenging Jason Hayes."

First and foremost, as an acknowledgment, the women in the picture require verification. After that, we will consider whether the contract term has been fulfilled or not. Could you tell me her current location, Mr. Brainer?"

"If you wish to verify whether the woman in the picture is Selina Hayes or not, you have to come with me. I cannot risk letting your people get rid of her behind my back and losing my chance to earn the information I have requested."

A look of confusion is reflected on Raisen's face. The elder who was looking down on Axel seemed to disappear.

Everything that Selina said has become reality. Now Axel Brainer is talking in equal power with Black Circle's Raisen.

"As you wish, Axel Brainer, I will follow you to verify the woman with my own eyes. Wait at the lobby, as an elder I cannot move as I please without being noticed."

"Yes, elder Raisen. I will follow your instructions and wait in the lobby."

Axel leaves the room with a victory mood hidden in his heart. His path is no longer heavy and the burden on his shoulder has decreased a little.

‘I should take off the bombs before this woman takes notice of it.’

By the time he arrives in the lobby, Axel talks about his situation with the receptionist employee, killing his time while waiting for Raisen to come down.

It takes some time before elder Raisen comes down to the lobby all by herself.

"Mr. Brainer, forgive me for the delay, I have to give some words to the rest of the elders before I manage to come down here."

“No problem, I could understand your situation perfectly elder.”

Like one of the job desks he has, the receptionist greets elder Raisen, “Good to see you again, after so many years of my absences, elder Raisen.”   

At first look her face didn’t show any excitement from the receptionist’s greeting, but the moment Raisen sees his face, a faint smile has breaching out of this dangerous person in the Black Circle.