For a long moment, the air was thick with tension.
The three men, still rattled by Raymond's sudden appearance, tried to puff themselves up, masking their fear behind ugly smirks and cocky laughs.
One of them, a lanky man with greasy hair and a cigarette hanging from his lips, was the first to speak, his voice loud and mocking.
"Looks like someone missed his way," he sneered, blowing a cloud of smoke into the air. "What's the matter, kid? Lost your mommy?"
The others chuckled, their laughter forced and nervous.
Another, heavier and broader, slapped the table hard and pointed at Raymond.
"You must be stupid or crazy to come waltzing into this place. You sure you didn't take a wrong turn from your playground?"
They laughed again, louder this time, feeding off each other's false bravado. Their words were sharp, but their hands kept twitching near their waists, close to the knives and pipes they had hidden nearby.
Raymond didn't flinch. He didn't even blink.
