The Hunter - Chapter 8 Into the trouble

Next day, Scarlett prepared to go to slum area alone. She already packed the pepper-spray mace and stun gun in her bag. During the day, she already surveys the slum by strolling the area by car and marking certain places that will be visited by her. She counts the appearance of the hunter, 80% are during the night day, so she is back to slum area when the sun is set.

When the dusk approaching, Scarlett still choosing what kind of clothes she will be wear to the slum. She didn’t want to become center of attention there, so she picks some old clothes from her storage. For shoes, she picks an old sneaker that she used to do jog in the morning, high heel shoes are out of her choice, well she learns something after the incident in the industrial district anyway. For upper clothes, she picks a casual women pants and regular shirt with a jacket to cover it. A pair of glasses also put on her face.

After wearing those clothes and fitting in front of the mirror, Scarlett checking the content of her bag. Self-defense tools are ready, the recorder is ready, the phone also in there, lipstick, face powder and small mirror like what women usually carry also can be found. Nothing else can be done, Scarlett clenched her fist, and it’s now or never.

————

Scarlett drives her car slowly in the slum area. The view at night very different than the view at day. Neon lamp shinning glamorously everywhere, women with heavy make-up and sensual dress standing along the streets waiting for their customer. Burly and brawny men can be seen in bars entrance. Some of them even whistling at Scarlett when she passed them. Scarlett stops her car in a spot that she already marked during the day. Her target is a bar called ‘Joe’s Bar’ located in the corner of the street with a wide alley at the back of the bar, that the place where she parking her car.

There’s a steel door in the back of the bar, probably for employee entrance and goods delivery. Scarlett stands in the back door, she hesitates whether she enters through the front door or back door. When she still thinking which door she should use, a man voice came from her back.

“Miss, if you have business here, you should use the front door. This door only for employee”

Scarlett startled, she didn’t notice there are people behind her. When she turns her back she can see who’s talking to her. The person who stands behind her is a young man holding two crates of beer. In his expressionless face, there is a burn scar that large enough in his right cheeks. His cold eyes stare Scarlett like she disturbing his work.

“I …I ..I looking for someone” said Scarlett in a wavering tone.

“You can use the front door”

“Can I use that door?” asked Scarlett while pointing the back door

“That’s only for the employee. Listen, miss, I know you’re not from here if you don’t have an urgent matter, I suggest you leave this place as soon as possible”

“How .. .how do you know?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Women here wearing heavy make-up and shower their bodies with perfumes. You’re not. If you insist looking someone here, you can ask the bartender. But I warn you most of this bar visitors are people with shoddy characters”.

After saying that, the young man enter the bar through the backdoor with those beer crates. Scarlett tries to chase him but can’t open the door. It’s seem locked from inside. Since there’s no other choice, Scarlett decides to enter from the front door.

When Scarlett entering the bar, she can feel the gaze of people in the bar aimed at her. While trying to be calm, Scarlett walks to the bar counter along with some whistling sound from every corner. At the bar counter, she sits calmly, makes a smile to bartender then try to start a conversation with the bartender. But before she opens her mouth to ask, the bartender already spoke to her

“What’s your order?” said the bartender with a cold gaze.

“Err…actually I looking for someone,” said Scarlett.

Other visitors that hearing her looking for someone start to speak some vulgar words

“Hey, honey! Are you looking for a man that can please you? That’s me!”

“Don’t believe him, his thing is small and never last long hahaha”

“Yo babe! You looking for someone to beat your cheating boyfriend? I’ll do it with one-night stand payment”

Those vulgar words keep flowing along with laughter from the bar guest. Bartender only silenced and stare at Scarlett before he speaks again

“This is a bar, place for people to drink”

“One glass beer then,” said Scarlett.

The bartender doesn’t speak anything and grab a glass and pour the beer from a keg before give it to Scarlett. She tries to drink it a sip, it’s bitter and the taste is awful. Typical of cheap beers.

“Boss, do me a favor, I’m looking for a man, maybe you ever see him”

The bartender still quiet for a while before said something

“Nothing is free in this world miss”

Scarlett understands what the bartender means. She took 10 dollar bills from his wallet and offer it to the bartender. The bartender took it and asks,

“Who do you looking for?”

“I’m looking for this man” Scarlett pull the hunter picture from his bag and show it to the bartender.

The bartender took the picture and look for a moment before throwing it back to Scarlett and speak three words.

“Never see him”

“What? Please boss look again” Scarlett still try to persuade the bartender that makes her not aware that other guest in the bar already swarming around her when some of them look at the picture in Scarlett’s hand.

After her effort to persuade the bartender failed, Scarlett just aware that she already surrounded by other guests in the bar. One of them is a tall burly man with height almost 2 meters. That man pointing at the picture in Scarlett’s hand.

“Girl, what your relationship with that man?”

“Ah, I don’t have relation with him” Scarlett start to panic seeing so many men circling her.

“Don’t lie to me! If you have no relation why you search him?”

“I…I’m a reporter, I want to write an article about him” Scarlett try to take his self-defense tool from his bag.

“Bullshit, do you think I’m a fool. You must be his girlfriend!” accuse the giant.

“No, I’m telling the truth. Let me go or I’ll use this” Scarlett put up her pepper-spray in front of giant’s face.

“What’s that? Mouth spray? Hahahaha”

Seeing the giant did not scare with her spray, Scarlett sprayed it to giant’s face. Sadly, the giant seems feeling nothing for the spray. He snatches the spray from Scarlett’s hand and shows it to his friend.

“Look, new mouth spray” he sprays the pepper mace to his mouth and continues talking “Mouth spray with Tabasco flavor hahaha”

All his friend laugh hearing that, while Scarlett pulls the stun gun from his bag and wave it in front of the giant.

“Back off or I use electrocuted you!”

“Girl, how many toys you brought here? You want to use it, then use it” the giant challenge Scarlett to use her stun gun.

“You asked for it!!” said Scarlett while stabbing the stun gun to Giant’s belly. Unfortunately, this stun gun also did not affect the giant much. He only feels like being tickled.

“What? You want to tickle me with that?” the giant grab Scarlett wrist which holding stun gun in her palm. When Scarlett try to use her other hand to break free, the giant also grabs her other wrist. Now the giant holding both of Scarlett’s wrist and pull her up, make Scarlett’s feet no longer step on the ground. Her stun gun also dropped to the ground because her hand becomes powerless.

“Let me go bastard! Put me down! Heeeelllppppppp….anyone help meee” Scarlett start to screaming and ask for help, but nobody seems cares about her plea. They just laugh loudly seeing the way the giant holding Scarlett.

“Fellas, now it’s time for body searching. Let see if she still have another toys” said the giant in humiliating tone.

“Noooo!! Please don’t. let me go, please. I beg you, let me goooo” Scarlett panicking when she heard what the giant said. She can’t imagine her body being touch by many hands of the guest in the bar. She screamed louder when she felt the hand start to rubbing her calf, her thighs, her buttock, and some hands start to groping her breast. When she about to cry, suddenly

PUFFFF

And the light was out. The bar was in pitch black. Cursing sound starts to spread when Scarlett feel the giant grip on her wrist was loose and she about to fall to the ground. But before she reaches the ground, Scarlett feel two strong hands grab her waist and shoulder, then carrying her. When she about to scream and struggle to get free, a man whisper sounding in her ears

“Don’t struggle. Don’t scream. I’ll take you out”

Scarlett doesn’t have any choice but to obey him, she tries to stay still in her savior carry and can feel her being moved from inside bar. After sometimes, they arrive in the back door. Outside light can be seen from the door’s crack. That man put her down, so she can stand, and open the door

“Get out! Leave quickly” then he shoves her out from the door, and close the back door after Scarlett get on outside the bar.

“Hey!” Scarlett a little confused with this sudden situation. She wants to speak with her life-saver but there’s nobody there. The back door already closed and locked, and the light already on again in the bar.

She has no choice but leaves the bar as the man told her. After entering her car that parked not far from there, she starts the engine and leaves slum area.