"You little—!" In a flash, Owl unsheathed a knife from his side, bringing it up to Joseph's throat, pressing just enough to make its lethal intent clear. "Maybe you are still an ill-mannered brat… You're nothing but a pawn in my game, and pawns should know their place."
Sweat dripped down Joseph's brows. His grin began twitching, yet his words remained smooth as silk. "It's not about knowing one's place. It's about knowing the entire chessboard. Even a pawn can be promoted to be a queen or kill any piece when moved and positioned correctly."
There was a slight pause before Joseph continued:
"If you think I'm gonna say sorry and beg and plead for my life you'd be greatly mistaken…"
No words were spoken. The knife at his throat pressed even tighter, enough to break the skin and let a thin line of blood trickle down before Owl finally whispered:
"You really think I won't kill you?"
"You can't…" Joseph smiled.
"And why is that?" The knife pressed even tighter, mere millimetres from his vitals.
Yet Joseph remained.
"Unless you want to be a slave for a month. There is a zero percent chance you'd kill me right now."
"W—what?" Owl's grip faltered, just slightly, and he took one step back.
"Nothing," Joseph shrugged. "I just couldn't help but overhear a certain conversation you had earlier. About a bet? With a… Weasel?"
"What are you playing at, boy?" Owl feigned ignorance.
"Well, if you harm me or fail to deliver on your end, you'll lose that bet. And from what I gathered, the stakes are quite high for you," Joseph smirked. "Imagine great Owl, the feared, reduced to 'Weasel's clapped lackey'. The humiliation, the loss of respect... Oh, how could you ever handle that?" He repeated Weasel's line word for word in that same funny accent of his. "That dog tag part seems especially embarrassing, wouldn't you say?" he added.
Owl's grip on the knife wavered, before he finally calmed. "You're playing a dangerous game, boy," he hissed.
Joseph smiled confidently, "Only kind I know."
For a tense moment, the two locked eyes, neither willing to back down. But finally, Owl let out a frustrated sigh, lowering his knife and taking a step back. "Fine. Ten times. But you better make sure you deliver, or it won't just be a bet you'll have to worry about."
Joseph nodded, maintaining his composure. "If I came off as ill-mannered, it wasn't my intention. I'm risking my life for this. I deserve proper pay right?"
"Yes…" Owl sighed once more.
Owl was careless. Who knew there was a chance that Joseph was listening in on them, but who could blame him? Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine a boy of his age to so boldly capitalize on this information and push him against the wall. He had greatly underestimated him.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure your investment is repaid in full!"
Owl could not help but chuckle at such a response as he glared at him, with begrudging respect shining in his eyes. "We have a deal. But remember, boy, cross me, and there will be consequences."
Joseph smirked, "Likewise," before he put his hands on the cut on his neck.
"Don't get carried away, brat. Now, let's get moving before we're too late."
______________________________
From the hilltop, Joseph and Owl surveyed the sprawling facility. A hulking mass of grey concrete and blue-tinged steel squatted amidst a web of empty roads, their starkness accentuated by the cold gleam of streetlights under the moon-lit night. Towering chimneys pierced the twilight sky, silent and smokeless.
Trekking closer, the high chain-link fence surrounding the entire facility came into view, topped with coiled barbed wire. Unauthorized entry was not just discouraged but actively prevented.
One of the most conspicuous features was the plethora of security cameras. Like silent sentinels, they stood on every corner, every entrance, and at regular intervals along the facility's perimeter.
For a seemingly ordinary warehouse-cum-factory, the security was unusually high, yet it oddly lacked any guards patrolling the perimeter.
What are they hiding that would warrant this much security? he pondered.
The blueprint Joseph was given did not do it justice—it looked like a mere scribble compared to the behemoth ahead.
"The place is a fortress," Joseph remarked, scanning with a keen eye, noting everything and linking it back to the blueprint that he had now all but memorized.
Owl leaned closer. "Impressive, isn't it? But remember, every fortress has a weak point. Our job is to find it."
"Yes," Joseph nodded. "The secret back entrance you marked should be right around the corner… Ah… There…" He pointed at a seemingly empty metal wall, in an open area towards the back of the building.
"You really did your homework!" Owl could not hide his shock. "That 'wall' actually houses a secret door blended in. It's meant for easy access for employees and is lightly guarded due to its secrecy."
"One camera," Joseph observed. "And I can see your tunnel mark—they haven't discovered it yet."
"Good eye! Seems you don't need my explanations."
"Go under the wall, enter one of the vents, follow the map and get in, then open the door for you while you disable the outside camera. You said it so many times I'd be retarded if I forgot…" Joseph scratched his head.
"Don't start acting arrogant now just because you have a little bit of leverage on me!" A small vein bulged from Owl's forehead as he tapped his finger on his crossed arms.
"You'll see…" Joseph replied, his voice trailing as he descended the hill with the slight clink of his toolkit. He pulled a black mask over his face without looking back.
"That boy is not normal… Interesting…"
The location of the underpass Owl dug was marked and covered with sticks.
The worm-infested tunnel itself was small, tight, and cramped. In its current state, it was impossible for Owl to have dug it himself. Either the tunnel began to shrink on itself as time passed, or he had used those now-dead children to dig it up for him, which was the more likely option.
Nevertheless, the thought did not last long as he emerged out, grasping a large breath of air.
Keeping to the shadows, he crawled toward a pair of ventilation shafts.
"The blueprint marked this vent… so… It's the other one I need…" Joseph reimagined the map in his head and reassessed.
The vent itself was bolted on four sides. Pulling out a screwdriver, it did not take long for Joseph to pull off the cover.
It was like magic how fast his hands moved, a calculated genius. The knowledge and skills were quite literally beaten into him from a young age helping his father in his workshop.
As he slid into the opening, the space constricted around him. Now more than ever, Joseph understood why Owl had "hired" him of all people: orphaned with no one to miss or look for him, unusually determined, and most importantly, small enough to fit where others couldn't.
Joseph rarely ever ate. He got by with only what he needed to survive and left the rest for his sister. He was short even for his age, and his figure was pure skin and bones. Yet even he could barely move in this metallic prison.
"Shit," he grunted, abandoning the now-useless blueprint bag. He inhaled sharply, flattening his body while pushing his toolkit ahead, flashlight balanced atop it.
The shaft's uneven edges pressed against his shoulders and hips, preventing him from even turning his head. There was no going back now.
Stale air filled his lungs as dust particles danced in his flashlight beam. The cold metal beneath sent shivers through his body. Occasional wider sections offered brief respite before the walls closed in again, renewing the claustrophobic nightmare.
Screwdriver in hand, he unscrewed and removed barriers blocking his path—a challenge made worse by his lingering injuries and the confined space.
As he inched forward, the metal beneath him grew increasingly hot. A lukewarm breeze stirred the dust ahead, growing stronger with each painful movement until finally—
Hole.
Exit!
No.
Deadend…
Joseph's teeth ground together, fists clenching. "That Owl really is an idiot!"
The hole he'd been crawling toward opened directly above a massive spinning fan. Anyone dropping through would be instantly shredded into a million pieces.
The vent had narrowed so severely that turning around was impossible. Though he'd memorized the layout, crawling backward to his entry point seemed equally impossible.
There was no doubt in Joseph's mind—this was where all those other children had died.
The only path was forward, and the only path forward was death...