Failed Aggressive Negotiations

Paul groaned as he stepped out of the Tahoe. “You have a nice ride with good legroom, but damn, do you drive like an old lady!” he complained, cracking his joints as he stretched.

Ian ignored Paul’s complaints, deciding instead to look at the building in front of them. The building itself looked normal, kind of like an office. The only defining features were the soft hum of music and the two ropes on either side of the door.

He let out a small sigh. It’s probably smart to leave my suit jacket and tie in the car. Knowing Paul, nine times out of ten, we are probably going to end up in a fight.

“Oh, looks like someone is getting ready for trouble,” Nadia snickered.

“You’re not wrong,” he said, pointing over at Paul. “When working with him, just assume everything can and will go off the rails.”

Paul’s footsteps came closer to him and Nadia. “Usually, I’d take some offense to that, but the lad’s got a point; shit tends to go off the deep end around us.”

“Don’t say ‘us.’ I try to follow the rules, and I also don’t go around brandishing my gun at every single person like an idiot,” Ian shot back.

“Sometimes you need to use aggressive negotiation if you want to succeed as a detective in this city.”

“Aggressive negotiation?” Nadia mouthed at Ian.

Ian rubbed his temples, ignoring Nadia.

“Come on, Rook! Loosen up, will ya! We are about to deal with some… interesting people, so you need to keep your cool, alright.”

Without replying to Paul, Ian opened up the car door, reaching for his gun. Then he remembered he had left his equipment on his desk and only had his gun. He slammed the door with a huff and quickly marched after Paul, who had gone ahead. Nadia followed closely behind.

They made it to the door a few seconds after Paul walked through. Ian pulled the door open and noticed it seemed to block out any light from outside, with tape lining any cracks. The hallway had black-and-white diamond-patterned floors, which were surprisingly clean. The walls were painted black with white clouds flashing multiple colors.

Once Ian’s eyes adjusted to the dim light, he saw Paul up ahead talking with a guy. The guy was tall, around 190 centimeters, with huge muscles and a bald head. Paul noticed Ian and waved him forward.

“Jim, meet my friend, Ian. Despite the way he looks, he is actually reliable,” he introduced as soon as the duo approached. “The woman behind him is Nadia, his girlfriend.”

Ian frowned at the introduction, but chose not to correct Paul since he didn’t know the full situation.

“Nice to meet the two of you,” Jim said, as he went to shake Ian’s hand.

The man’s grip was really tight, almost hurting Ian’s hand during the small exchange. Once it ended, Ian shook his hand, doing his best to hide the pain he was in. He could feel Nadia’s gaze waiting to say something smart.

“Let’s cut to the chase: is Mark in there?” Paul asked, his tone changing from happy to more serious.

Jim replied by holding out his hand. Paul, understanding, quickly reached into his jacket pocket before handing Jim a stack of money.

“Be careful with the people working today. Mark paid the boss for protection,” Jim told Paul before turning to Nadia and Ian.

“I don’t know how much you know about this world, but be careful in the club. Run outside if you feel in danger. And whatever you do, don’t look like a target.” He explained, then walked past all of them, heading toward the door.

“What do you mean, don’t look like a target?” Ian asked.

But the door slammed closed, and the man was not responding.

“Well, that was rude,” Nadia commented, trying to break the oppressive mood.

“I’m honestly worried about going forward,” Ian admitted.

Paul glanced at Ian. “No need to be worried! All we’re doing is going to catch a rat!” His grin turned sinister, his eyes flaring. Before a reply came, he turned and kicked open the door leading to the club floor. “Honey, I’m Home!”

Despite the music being loud, Paul’s voice somehow managed to carry over the noise. He marched in without worry.

Ian shared a look with Nadia. She gave a look that said, “Why are we still waiting?” His stomach twisted in knots, but he followed. The music was washing over them as they entered the actual club.