"I said, get on your knees!" The older officer shouted again, but James remained unfazed, holding the coin tightly in his palm.
The bodyguards around him were tense. They wanted to shoot back, but they knew they’d be screwed too, because James hadn’t given the order.
"I asked a simple question. Heads or tails?" James stepped closer, but the officer didn’t waver, keeping his gun aimed at him.
"I don’t play your fucking game, Bellini!"
"That’s not true…" James smiled, looking at him. "The moment you raised your gun, you already decided to play."
As he spoke, he tossed the coin into the air. The officer and Hector’s eyes followed it as it spun and dropped back into James’s palm.
He waited for a moment before opening his hand and looking at the coin.
Then he shook his head, laughing.
"How lucky you are. Tails. You might not realize it yet, but this single coin…" He held it up. "…saved not just your life, but many others as well."
"W-what was the bet…?" One of the younger officers asked from the side.
James turned to him, noticing that his gun was no longer pointed at him but at the ground.
"The bet was your head." James pointed at him. "Your head, yours too." He gestured at several other officers.
"What…?" The older officer, still pointing his gun, asked.
James stepped even closer, just two steps away from him.
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"I was going to put a bounty on your heads. A hundred thousand dollars for each of your heads. I wanted to show the city that you’re nothing more than people in uniform pretending to be heroes." He smiled. "Think about it. How many people do you think would jump at the chance to make that much money?"
Some of the officers glanced at each other, lowering their guns as James’s words sank in.
The capital was full of desperate people, but the worst part was that if James actually put a bounty on them, people from the slums, from all over the country would come to kill them.
Money wasn’t just power to them, it was a chance at the life they dreamed of every day.
"But of course…" James continued, his smile widening. "The first bet was just about a shootout, but when I saw the coin flip, I changed my mind. So be grateful to me."
"You can’t threaten us like this! We are the police! The law! The shield of the people! We are—" The officer looked around while speaking but what he saw were trembling hands and eyes filled with more than just fear.
Young officers, detectives, every single one of them hesitated, their guns slowly lowering.
"You noticed it, didn’t you?" James’s gaze flickered to the older officer. "It’s called fear. Not just the fear of death, but the feeling of absolute helplessness. Because if you do something, oh my…" He chuckled. "Can you imagine your heads decorating the city? These young men and women’s heads on display while their families weep in agony? No? Then do yourself a favor and step aside before I have a mood swing."
The officer clenched his jaw, his grip tightening around his gun. His hands trembled, his confidence crumbling under the weight of James’s words.
"Go on, then. Shoot me." He spread his arms wide, stepping forward one more step. "Show everyone here that you still believe in your badge."
The officer’s breathing turned uneven. His finger twitched on the trigger.
"Tick, tock," James whispered. "The moment’s slipping away."
But the officer didn’t pull it.
James exhaled a short chuckle, shaking his head. "That’s what I thought."
He turned his back on the officer, walking toward Hector. The moment he did, several officers let out breaths they hadn’t realized they were holding. Their hands felt heavier, their weapons useless.
"Should we?" Hector whispered, barely moving his lips.
"No need." He slipped the coin into his pocket. "They’ve already lost."
Silence.
Some of the officers stared at their trembling hands. Others looked at their comrades, searching for reassurance but finding only fear.
A few took slow, unconscious steps backward, as if distance could make them forget what just happened.
James turned back to them. "You know what’s funny?" He smiled. "People like you think you hold the power because of a badge and a gun. But now, you learned the truth, didn’t you?"
No one answered. They didn’t need to.
James sighed dramatically, shaking his head. "Let me spell it out for you." He took a step closer again, forcing the officer to hold his breath. "You’re all still alive… because of a fucking coin toss."
The weight of his words sank in. Some officers visibly flinched.
"Now, tell me…how does it feel? Knowing that your lives aren’t decided by the law, by justice, or by some noble cause… but by a cheap piece of metal?"
The young officer who had asked about the bet earlier swallowed hard. "That’s insane…"
"Insane?" James laughed, shaking his head. "No, no. What’s insane is that you still think the law matters in this city." He glanced around, taking in their expressions, hollow, uncertain, broken. "But don’t worry. I’m not unreasonable. I could’ve let the bounty go through. I could’ve watched you all dying. But instead…" He patted his pocket. "I let luck decide."
Some of them shifted uncomfortably, refusing to let their fear show.
"You know, you should be thanking me." He said casually, adjusting the cuffs of his suit. "Not every day you get a second chance in life, right?"
No one responded.
James chuckled. "Oh, don’t be shy now. A few seconds ago, you were all barking orders. What happened? Cat got your tongue?" He glanced at the young officer who had called him insane. "You, what’s your name?"
The officer hesitated before answering. "Reyes."
"Reyes." James repeated, nodding slightly. "Tell me, Reyes, how long have you been in this… noble profession?"
"...Three years."
"Three years…and in those three years, tell me, have you actually made a difference?"
Reyes opened his mouth, then closed it. He wasn’t sure how to answer.
James smirked. "See? That’s the problem. You all act like you’re in control, but deep down, you know you’re not."
The older officer, the one still clutching his gun but not daring to raise it, finally spoke up.
"We uphold the law, Bellini." His voice was firm, but there was an undeniable tremor beneath it.
James shook his head. "And what a fine job you’ve done." He mocked, gesturing around. "The city’s a shithole, corruption’s everywhere. But sure, keep telling yourself that your badge means something."
He took a step closer to the older officer, watching the man’s grip tighten. "Tell me… when’s the last time you actually believed in what you do? Hmm?"
He didn’t respond.
James leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "If you have to think about it, then you already know the answer."
He stepped back, stretching his arms as if he were wrapping up a boring conversation. "But hey, it’s been fun. I’ll leave you all to think about your existence." He turned to Hector and his men. "Let’s go."
As he walked past the officers, he paused beside the older officer. "A little advice." He whispered. "Next time you pull a gun, make sure you’re ready to use it. Otherwise, you’re just holding a piece of metal for no reason."
He stiffened but said nothing.
James smirked one last time before heading out.
The officers stood frozen, their minds racing, their hands still trembling.
"He’s going to do it…." One of the female officers whispered as James disappeared.
Reyes turned to her, his heart dropping. "What?"
"The bounty. Maybe not tonight. Maybe not tomorrow. But one day, he’s going to wake up and decide that we’re better off dead. And when that happens…" Her voice broke. "What the fuck are we supposed to do?"
Reyes wanted to believe that she was wrong. That James had only been playing mind games, that he wouldn’t actually go through with it.
But deep down, he knew better.
If James wanted them dead, there would be no warning. No mercy. No second chances.
"I’m leaving."
The others turned to her.
Reyes looked at her and what he saw in her eyes was pure terror.
"Not just this scene. This city. This job." She sucked in a breath. "I have a family. A daughter. I won’t—" Her voice cracked.
No one spoke.
Because at that moment, every single one of them was thinking the same thing.
They weren’t officers anymore. They were dead men walking.
And all it had taken was a single flip of a coin.
As James stepped out of the police station, he stopped in front of the limousine, frozen in place.
His breath was uneven. His chest felt tight.
Slowly, he looked down at his hands.
Blood.
Dark, sticky beneath his nails, staining his skin, soaking into the fabric of his suit. He could even taste it in his mouth.
I killed them…