Chapter Five

Chapter Five

-Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland; May 5th, 2009-

EDJ hung up and entered the glass office alone to see both captives sitting in chairs in the center of the room. He removed the bags from their heads and stood in front of Lui. 

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” EDJ started. “So about Hanna-”

“Don’t tell him anything, Lui!” DJ loudly interrupted. 

EDJ huffed and walked back to the door. “It’s clear you’re going to be no help at all.” He opened the door and signaled for a few thugs to come in. He stopped one and muttered, “Make sure he doesn’t bleed to death, will you?” The thugs pulled DJ up from his chair and dragged him away. 

“DJ!” Lui called, trying to turn around to see where his friend was being taken. EDJ slammed the door closed and walked back to the center of the room. He pulled DJ’s chair around and sat heavily in front of Lui. 

“Where did they take DJ?” Lui asked in panic. “What are you going to do to him?!” 

EDJ held up both hands. “Would you chill out? I’m not going to do anything to him.” 

“You...You’re not?” Lui asked. 

“No, now will you listen to me for two seconds without freaking out?” EDJ asked with the tone of someone tired and frustrated at the tail end of a long day, hands still raised. 

Lui tilted his head, confused by EDJ’s change in action and tone. “O-okay…”

“Great,” EDJ started. “Just stick around long enough to answer a few questions and I’ll let you go.” 

Lui narrowed his eyes. “I’m not telling you anything that’s going to help you hurt her.” 

“Relaaaaax,” EDJ insisted, leaning back in his chair. “Believe me, the last thing I want to do is hurt your girlfriend.”

“She’s not my-” 

“Right, right,” EDJ cut him off. “Your friend. Whatever.” EDJ waved his hand like it didn’t really matter. “My point is, I have no intention of hurting her.” 

Lui stared at EDJ with apprehension and suspicion, eyes still narrow. “None?” Lui asked. 

“None,” EDJ repeated, sitting up straight and looking Lui in the eye. “I mean it. You can still read people, right? Go ahead. Tell me I’m lying.” 

Lui stared at EDJ for a long minute. If there was any light in Iul, Lui couldn’t see it between the wisps of darkness. At the very least, he could tell EDJ wasn’t lying. Lui frowned, not wanting to admit anything. 

EDJ scooted his chair closer, leaned forward, and spoke in a softer voice. “Look, we used to be friends, right?” 

“Yeah, but-”

“Come on.” EDJ interrupted, tone almost pleading. “I don’t like doing this kinda stuff, okay? But I’m in a bad spot and I need your help. I’m asking you to trust me here. Just like old times.”

“You threw me out a window,” Lui said plainly, glaring. “You blew a hole in our home, kidnapped us, threatened to drop me from a chopper, and you hurt DJ!” 

“You’re not still mad about that, are you? I was joking,” EDJ insisted. “You know how it is. I gotta look tough in front of the guys I hired otherwise they'll walk all over me. I can't have that. And I didn’t mean to slice up DJ like that. That was an accident.” It was very much not an accident, but he wasn’t going to tell Lui that. 

“And what about everyone else you hurt?” Lui asked. 

EDJ sighed heavily and shook his head. “Mistakes happen,” he said softly. “Doesn't mean I can't be forgiven, right?” 

“B-but...  that’s not…” Lui turned away and huffed. He looked back. “You're evil,” Lui said quietly. 

“Am I?” EDJ asked with sincerity, eyes never leaving Lui’s. Both let the question sit unanswered. EDJ shrugged and leaned back, as if giving up. “Just answer a few questions and I’ll let you go,” he said in a tired voice. “I promise.” 

“What about DJ?” Lui asked. 

“I’ll let him go too,” EDJ answered easily.

“You promise?” Lui asked. 

EDJ held up a three finger salute. “Scout’s honor.” 

Lui frowned, still uncertain. “What do you want to know?” 

***********************************************

“Well, that about wraps this up.” EDJ stood up and stretched. He turned his wrist over and pulled his sleeve back. “Just in time too.” He smiled back at Lui. “This was fun! We should do it again sometime. Thanks for playing.” 

Lui blinked at him, a knot starting to form in his stomach. “What?”

EDJ looked through the glass windows and nodded to his men on the other side. “It’s been so nice catching up, bud, but I’ve got things to do and you have a flight to catch.” 

Panic and dread returned. “You said you’d let us go!” Lui said with urgency. “You’re taking us home, right?” 

EDJ snorted as he opened the door. “Of course not. I already told you where you’re going.” 

“You… you lied to me…?” Lui asked as his heart sank. The thugs entered and pulled him up from his chair. 

EDJ laughed and he shook his head at Lui. “See, that’s what I love about messing with you. You’re so… soooo…” EDJ snapped his fingers a few times, looking for the right word. He raised a finger and his face lit up when he found what he was looking for. “Naive,” he finished with a smug grin. 

“No! Wait! Please!” Lui resisted, but the thugs dragged him out of the room all the same. 

EDJ followed the group out of the room, closing the door behind him. “I’m awful at goodbyes so you’ll have to tell DJ this was only slightly personal. Have a nice trip!” EDJ smiled and waved as the thugs continued to drag the prisoner off. His smile dropped as soon as Lui was out of sight. EDJ turned to his assistant. “Progress report?” 

“Thirty-two percent, sir,” Cody answered, tapping a palm-sized tablet with a stylus. 

EDJ nodded. “Any word on our heroine?” 

Cody tapped the screen a few more times before answering, “En route. Just entered Norwegian airspace.” 

EDJ frowned. “She’s making better time than anticipated. It’s time to go.”