Chapter 173: Payment Accepted
We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to rule over us.
But right now, Zane wanted to know what was done to the thieves of a shop.
As soon as the thief came to his senses, Zane asked him what took place inside the shop with him.
At that, the thief hugged himself and shivered.
But he made sure to answer Zane.
"They... He.. that man first removed my clothes and then..."
Everyone gulped.
"Then?"
"Then he inserted something inside me!"
" ... "
"I am going." Hena was the first one to turn around.
"Me too." Draxus went with her.
They both walked out of the alley.
"Wait." Zane called for them.
Hena looked over her shoulder.
"I have no intention to hear about a raped man."
"Neither do I." Draxus chimed.
"He wasn’t raped." Zane shouted. "Probably."
Hena stopped.
"Why?" She asked.
"Well, Paulo had blood on his apron and this man doesn’t seem injured from anywhere apart from his leg. Something else had happened to him. Rape wouldn’t cause blood, unless extreme ones."
"Yes. I wasn’t raped. If I was, I wouldn’t be shivering like this. Heck, I would have never left that room if that was the case."
Zane’s brows twitch.
"Don’t speak more than necessary. We don’t want to know your preferences."
"I am sorry."
Zane turned to Hena.
"Let’s finish this and we will go together."
Hena stayed silent for a while but in the end, she joined the group once more.
Zane sighed and focused on the thief again.
"Remove your clothes." He said.
The thief’s eyes sparkled.
Zane stepped back.
"I don’t mean that. I just want to see something."
"That’s how it always starts." The thief said.
Zane bit his lip.
"Xavier, you talk to him."
"Nope." He refused right away. "Girls might not like me but I am not that desperate. I won’t jump in the sewer if I am not getting a swimming pool."
"Don’t call yourself a sewer. I don’t mind getting dirty." The thief said.
"I was talking about you!"
Xavier turned to Zane.
"Let’s leave him. He’s not worth our time."
Zane inhaled a deep breath.
"Let me talk. Stay silent, all of you."
They stepped back, letting Zane in the front.
The gutterborn glared at the thief.
"Remove your clothes. No questions. No words. Obey."
"That’s rough. I can’t say I dislike it."
"Do it!"
"Yes. Yes."
The thief removed his orange shirt.
Zane watched his bare skin closely but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
"Turn around." He said.
The people behind him gasped.
"Zane... are you really.." Xavier shivered.
"No! Shut up for a second. Don’t think weird things!"
"I don’t mind." The thief said.
Zane clenched his fists.
He almost punched the man but...
I don’t want to touch him.
"Just turn around!" Zane’s tone became harsh but it worked as the thief turned around right away.
As soon as he turned around, everyone became serious.
They found it.
A scar ran down around his lower back.
He bent down and looked closely.
He didn’t touch them as that could bring pain to the man.
Zane would refrain from harming someone who didn’t harm him.
"What is this?" Draxus asked.
"A scar. Made by Paulo." Zane replied.
"How are you sure it’s made by Paulo? It could be even before he met Paulo." Xavier argued.
But Zane shook his head.
"It is freshly stitched. And instead of the wound, some extra skin had been stitched too. It’s not the work of a professional."
"How do you know?" Hena asked.
Zane turned to her.
"I have seen enough scars to know about the wound."
Hena went silent.
Jammy stepped forward.
"What’s the wound behind this one then?" He asked.
"There is only one thing regarding this."
Zane stood up.
He turned to others and revealed the wound.
"They took out his kidney."
"What?!"
Only the thief exclaimed.
The others didn’t show such an exaggerated reaction.
In fact, they began making sense.
"So he tried to steal and by taking his kidney, the shopkeeper made sure he paid for it. Fair deal." Jammy explained.
Zane nodded.
"Seems like it. Do you have what you stole with you right now?" He asked the thief.
"Yes."
The thief’s hand went to his pocket and he took out a medium length thick baton.
Everyone quivered their brows.
"You risked yourself for stealing a baton?" Zane asked.
The shopkeeper put the baton back inside his pants and stood up.
"Well... I was lonely and I needed something so I thought I will use this baton instead of a real peni-"
"Stop talking. That’s enough."
I wouldn’t be able to hear more than that.
The shopkeeper began buttoning his shirt and now that Zane looked at him, he realized the man’s eyes weren’t opening fully.
He swayed left and right, drowsy as if drunk.
"Now it makes more sense." Zane said.
"What?" Draxus asked.
"He must be injected with something that would make him lose consciousness. That’s why he was resting on the side of the road, that’s why he was sleeping when you brought him here. The effect of the medicine or whatever is still on him. Paulo didn’t make him feel pain at least."
"But what about my kidney? They took it. I want it back." The thief complained.
"Not my problem. Take care. Stop stealing. Get a job. Let’s go."
Zane walked out of the alley.
Everyone walked with him.
"Wait. Where will I go without a kidney? You look rich. Take me under you."
The golden haired thief ran after Zane and before the gutterborn could refuse the company...
TUNG!
THUD!
The man fell down, face first.
The bell of the Flame Tower also rang.
It was the time for the second prayer of the day.
"Take.. me.. too.."
The man muttered and soon, snores rang out in the alley.
"He is asleep again. Now’s our chance." Zane said and no one argued.
All of them took long strides and left the alley.
Hena forced Zane to take a private carriage but the man refused.
"Not yet. One more thing is left."
"What now?" Hena asked.
Zane looked at Jammy.
"Find a Runner. It’s time to fulfill my first promise."
