the night was young and the wind was light in that complicated long street that jolly and keet were driving at, the roads looked like a giant maze and that back alley was even worst and keet had no idea why was she so mad or where were they going, too many questions he had in his mind but he couldn't ask any of them until the car finally stopped.
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the place they parked at was like a medium-sized stadium but it wasn't for football or baseball for the tracks were round and the roads were vertically striped.
there was a drive way leads inside but it's ground wasn't leveled for cars so Jolly and Keet walked in while Keet was still understanding what's going on Jolly had arrived to her destination which was a guy sitting in the front line of a low sitting row on the first chair on the right who didn't even stand up when he saw her or even move, he just turned his head to her and smiled while she took it all out over him,
the guy listened until she finished and left and Keet is finnaly beginning to understand, the place was a horse race trail that's why the drive way wasn't for cars it was for horses to walk on it in and out but it's strange to be under the ground like that maybe it is for illegal gambling or something but the most strange thing was the people watching the race they were all quiet and eagering for something some of them were looking to Keet and Jolly and some were not even interested of the hall thing, Keet's mind was full and had too many questions going on but one thing made it all go away when he looked at a woman holding a book and patrols between the lines,she triggered an old familiar feeling inside of him as she walks by the lines, she was some kind of a setting visor or an organizer for no one dared to leave his set near her and clearly they all feared her.
Jolly was just leaving the place and Keet saw the guy following her with his eyes and he seemed worried from something for his eyes were between Jolly and the horse arena, and suddenly a familiar voice inside Keet's head said: you two must leave this place now.
Keet knew what that meant but he had to get her out first so he grabbed her hand and started rushing outside and said to the voice: what is this place?
Jolly was trying to keep up with him when she asked: what's the hurry for?
they had just arrived to the car which was the only one in the parking area and Keet said: you go ahead I'm gonna stay here for a while, I'll see you tomorrow then, bye.
and he rushed back inside before she even gets a chance to reply and left her wondering about it.
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as soon as keet got back in the drive was started to go up like an old castle draw bridge except this one had no chains or a door frame or anything holding it at all and as soon it was up there the hall place stared sinking under the ground and Keet said: there goes the escape plane.
and he lighted up a cigarette and started to wonder inside the place.
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Keet wondered inside the place and he noticed that the horse race began but these horses were different than the ones he saw earlier the new horses were dead and all skeleton and the race had no finish line and that guardian women multiplied and became more bail and the people became frustrated as if they were prisoners in this place, so Keet went to the only guy he knew of this infernal place.
the guy wasn't as frustrated as the others but as Keet was getting close to him he noticed that the women became more aware of him but he did not stop even when the voice shouted at him: stop.
Keet wasn't gonna stop until he understands what's going on here
he took a set next to Jolly's friend but the guy didn't even notice him not until he tapped his shoulders the guy woke up and asked him: why are you still here?
Keet: I needed to know who are you and why are you here and what happened and what's this place?
Guy: slow down man, listen we don't have much time we need to get you out of here before one of the sentinels notice you.
Keet: oh you mean one of these women haha I'll break her neck if she touched me.
Guy: they're really strong man and even if you can another one will take her place, and we need to get you out without a noise...
Keet: I had a getting out plane but the entrance got closed and the whole place was buried in the ground.
the Guy: it opens again every one lap cycle that's our window.
Keet: when is that?
Guy: no one knows but the horses stop when it happens but it's a mess.
Keet: what are you doing here?
Guy: I was tricked by a friend who owed Infernos.
Keet: so your friend traded you for money? what a dick.
Guy: no Infernos doesn't deal in money he deals in souls and my friend lost his in a bit.
Keet: so he traded you instead, when we get out I'll kill him.
Guy: you have to get out the First man.
Keet: huh don't you worry about us we will get out mate.
Keet's optimism was too much but something in his words made the Guy believe him and he finally saw an opportunity to leave this hellish place.
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They don't know how long time have passed but they talked too much about many things waiting for the loop to open, Keet now knows that the guy's name is Raymond and that he and Jolly had tow dates before he disappeared in that's why she was so mad at him and he has no idea how she found him here also that this Infernos guy is another demon familiar or maybe a demon Lord considering that he's too pwerfull and that he owned the whole area for too long but he still somehow thinks that he can defeat him, and Ray now knows that Keet is Jolly's best friend and that he stayed behind to help him because he had a strange feeling about this place thoug he didn't understand how Keet isn't afraid of this place and that he thinks that he can beat Infernos who owned this area for the last 100 years and has an army of creatures no one knows what are they exactly but Ray is optimistic as well however that Keet was born with no planning skills what's so ever but he will stop at nothing to do what he said he will do.
and finally, the horses stopped and people started running everywhere and the sentinels were preventing some and leaving some no one understood why but maybe some people were not meant to leave this place, Keet and Ray ran to the front until they almost reached the drawing door but one of the sentinels stopped them saying with an ugly voice: only you may leave Black but he won't.
Keet wasn't the kind to take no for an answer so he said: out of our way women we're leaving.
Keet's eyes were changing but that infernal sentinels didn't seem to care why she stayed in there way and her body colour changed to silver and her eyes blanked as she said: you may leave demon your soul doesn't belong here but his does.
Keet didn't seem to have even heard her when he launched forward and pushed her out of the way but the outcome was really surprising, although Keet was the one to push the silver women he was the one fallen on the ground and as he was realising that Ray said: you can't fight them here they're really strong, dude.
Keet was getting up when he heard a very familiar voice in his head saying: I'll distract her but you have to make it run for it.
Keet: mate I was never happiest to hear you in my head.
suddenly the statue lady stopped moving like an actual statue and Keet and Ray ran across the crowds and finally reached the draw bridge but it was too high to be climbed but everyone else was doing it so they started climbing but the more they climbed the higher it seemed and the stronger gravity get until it started to move, the draw bridge was becoming the driving way again but it was so slow and people were falling everywhere and Keet was barely hanging on and he was pretty sure that he's getting heavier but he almost did it so he held on as strong as he could but the door was getting faster and Ray couldn't hang on so he let go.
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Ray's hands couldn't carry him and the overweight of Survivors who were grabbing anything they can grab so he just let go, on his way down Ray looked at Keet and said: I am sorry.
but he didn't listen he had time to while was breaking free his right arm and grabbing Ray's left foot and saying: bear a little more with me man we're almost there.
Keet wasn't ready to disappoint Jolly and break his promise to her that he will see her and wasn't gonna let the guy she loves and it just occurred to him that she's in danger, how did she know about this place and how did she find Ray here whoever told her isn't a friend and once he leaves this place he's gonna find him and kill him painfully and slowly and feed his remains to Leo.
there was a lot going on in his mind that he didn't notice that the gate was open but Ray shook him up and said: let's go, dude.
Keet got up and they started to run throw that complicated back alleys and Keet knew right away it's not gonna be easy to leave this delicate maze for it's obviously made to make sure that nobody leaves this cursed place and he had no powers since he's pound as we know and for a moment he thought of giving up and just letting go but the voice in his head came back saying: you are never alone just remember, friends, are the true power in this world.
Keet looked at Ray and he has just remembered his ever-loyal canine companion so he whistled.
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meanwhile Rainbow was in the book store tiding the shelves when she noticed a very old book with a leather cover that looked like it was written by hand, the dust on it made it seem from a different era but it was in a good shape and the pages weren't torn or anything but the strange thing is it wasn't shown on the shelf it was hidden behind all the other books.
Rainbow was curious about it so she opened it and started reading it but the further she got into it the wider her eyes got as if she discovered a horrible secret of the ancients.
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Keet and Ray where on a roof of an unlucky construction site that never got finished and became home of nothing more than garbage and rats and dust, they could see some resident small apartments around the area but the people didn't seem friendly maybe because of the living under the shadow of that cursed stadium or maybe because although the sun is in the heart of the sky it's still looking shadowy and depressing shown here.
Keet's instinct suddenly moved him to a sneaky comer from the side of the dark stairs, the unwanted guest was nothing more than a thin mid-aged man but the tattoos on everywhere of his body and the tomahawk hair cut and the snakes around him looked a little suspicious but Keet didn't look worried when he asked him: who are you mate?.
Jake: my name is Jake a humble bounty hunter at your service.
Keet knew then that he came for him but he wasn't ready for counters of any sort so he tried to waste some time saying in humour: and what are you doing here Jake the snake?.
Jake seemed a little upset when he said: it's just Jake my friend, and I'm not here for you so if you can be so kind and let me have him.
and he pointed at Ray for some reason no one knows but Keet wasn't that kind of a guy who would step aside and leave a friend behind so he stood between Jake the snake and the very scared Ray and said: piss off mate before you hurt yourself.
Jake liked it when he said: I'll be just fine my Lord just worry about yourself.
and he whispered something that made three of the snakes move towards Keet.
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Rainbow took the book to Detective Luke and said: I have the answer, Mr Luke.
Luke wasn't sure of what she meant as he was checking the strange book and said: the answer of what exactly.
Rainbow: me and you and Mr Keet and the strange things that have been happening, just don't tell Mr Keet I gave you this I'm still not sure of him yet.
Luke took the book and placed at the side of his desk and listened to her as she explains to him her great discovery.
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the snakes were surrounding Keet from everywhere but the biggest of them was a long yellow-eyed cobra and his fangs were almost as long as grown man's hand and it was trying to confuse his prey before it leaps on him but keet grabbed the biggest of the snakes from the neck and punched it so strongly that he broke one of its fangs but one of the snakes jumped on him tangling his left arm around his body and another one came from beneath him to attack but Keet quickly stepped on it but he was left helpless before the fourth enemy Jake who was getting another snake from his sleeve as if he was breeding them, Jake whispered something to the snake that approached Keet who had no moves left against that crawling death.
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Luke has just finished his work and preparing to leave the office when he noticed that leather old book that Rainbow has left on his desk and he looked confused about reading it, it took him a couple of minutes to decide but he finally did and took off his jacket and sat on his desk and started reading.
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it was a busy morning for Keet but filled with unwanted guests like those snakes tangling his arms and legs and the one that's trying to leap on him but there at a far dark corner came out a big black ape that jumped on the snakes and grabbed two of them and it even ate one them biting his head off, Jake screamed like a teenager when he saw that ferocious dark creature eating his snakes like snacks and obviously not an average animal for it was darkly black and its eyes were glowing in red and even it's fur was thorny, Jake bulled a dagger from his back and wanted to attack the grumpy Monkey eating his snakes but a strong hand grabbed him from the neck and pulled him up in great strength and he heard Keet saying: please don't interrupt my pet while he's eating now where were we?
Jake tried to stap Keet's hand that choking him but the other hand replied quickly twisting his until breaking it forcing the dagger to fall on the ground and the knee that destroyed his guts as the hand breaking his right arm made him very quiet for a while as keet was asking him: what do you want from us??
Jake was still processing the pain when he answered: I don't even know you, man.
Keet's hand tightened on his neck forcing him to choose his words carefully when he said: we're not even here for you man.
Keet drobbed him on the dusty roof floor and said: why are you after him?
Jake laughed out loud and said: I'm a professional sir I won't talk.
Keet was getting angry so he broke his second arm and said: I got much time the real question here is how much you got?
Jake was completely submissive when he looked at Keet and said: we have no problem with you and your Monkey we got what we came for.
that moment Keet remembered his partner Ray and looked where he left him but Ray was gone as if he wasn't there, and that made Keet really angry...
(to be continued)
