“How long have you been here?” I asked quietly.
He hesitated, eyes flicking toward the guards.
“Never mind them,” I said. “They’re asleep.”
He worked his knife for a moment before answering. “Two days.”
“They took you?”
A crease formed on his brow. “What do you mean?”
That’s when it hit me—he wasn’t in the same situation I was.
“I mean, how did you get here?”
He shrugged. “Same as everyone else, I guess. A job’s a job, right? I’ve had better than this, but it pays well.”
Not a Leftover. Not a prisoner. Just hired help. Which meant he probably had a bed and a hot shower waiting for him at night, while I rotted in a cavern.
“No doubt. Everyone’s got bills to pay,” I said. “But why skin so many animals? None of this is edible.”
He glanced around again before lowering his voice. “You didn’t hear it from me, but I caught one of the guards talking. Said it’s for some kind of game. Something about climbing over it.”
“Climbing?”
“Yeah. Doesn’t make sense to me. But like I said, a job’s a job. Pay me, and I don’t care what they do with it after.”
My mind started working through the pieces whether I wanted it to or not. Mountains of rotting flesh. Skinning until our hands went numb. A guard’s offhand comment about climbing. Then my thoughts were dragged back to the meat hooks I’d been sharpening—some just at the points, others along the whole curve. Did that have anything to do with this?
A meat hook drags meat… or it drags someone.
The thought made my gut twist. This had nothing to do with cooking.
I had to get back to Akiko. Warn her before it was too late.
40
Miki
I spent the entire day locked in my room. I know because I tried walking out, just around the mansion. The Chopman stationed outside stopped me. I pleaded, promised I wouldn’t leave, even forced a smile that felt more like a grimace. Nothing. He didn’t budge, his eyes flat and his lips were pressed tight.
He’d been guarding me since I arrived—must’ve been assigned to me. No chair, no water, no food. Did Ginji treat everyone here like disposable furniture?
I grabbed a drink from the fridge and a bag of chips, then held them out. “Here, take it.”
He ignored me at first, but I caught the flick of his gaze. He wanted them. I pressed them into his hand. He didn’t stop me. Didn’t thank me either.
The hours dragged, my thoughts circling Akiko. Was she being treated well? Was she safe and healthy? Or worse, locked up like me? What gnawed at me was how I was being kept like some kind of VIP guest. Why the show? He could’ve stuck me in one of those hotel rooms.
I checked on the Chopman again, half expecting to see the drink and chips tossed on the floor. But the bag was empty and the bottle drained.
A satisfied smile tugged at my lips. Not so tough after all. Even statues had cracks.
Around four, the Chopman knocked once, then stepped inside. “Ginji says you’re to be showered, dressed, and ready by six. For an evening of fun.”
Fun?
My stomach tightened. Did he mean more of last night? Was that my evening?
