The Black Onyx Pact (20 page)

«Ouch! What the fuck!» exclaims Nathan when he sees Drakkar responding to the assault.
The man dodges all their attacks and hits them with determination at precision, making them fall almost senseless to the ground. He then drags them against a wall reproaching them with his powerful voice. He goes to see if the homeless man is ok, he gives him back his bag and pats the dog, waiting for him to leave. When the homeless man is distant he returns to the boys pointing a finger and saying something scary to them, judging from the expressions of sheer terror on their faces. Finally he comes back to the car and gets back driving.

Nathan looks at him with admonishment.

«You are a fucking soldier, aren't you? You are not a simple cop. What are you? A man of the RAID? One of the
36
? You cannot be a member of the GIPN, maybe one of the GIGN?»

Drakkar laughs heartily but doesn't answer.
«Come on, tell me! Are you a
—
»
Nathan stops because something has come into his mind: Drakkar's tattoo, his bull ready to gore!
«Oh fuck!» cries the boy trying to get off the moving car.

Drakkar grabs him by the T-shirt and pulls him back on his seat pointing a finger at him as a warning to not move again. Nathan breathes faster now, completely in fright.
«Y
—
you are a
taureau
, a
bull
, aren't you? You are one of the DAFT!»
Drakkar smiles at him and rubs his head, then slides to hold the back of his neck in his big hand.
«I am just Romain. And you shouldn't be afraid of me, okay? Consider me as a father.»
«I am terrified by my father!»
«Consider me as a big brother then.»
«I am afraid of him too!»
Drakkar sighs, leaving his neck to shift the gears.
«Is there anyone you don't fear?»
Nathan thinks about it for a moment.
«No.»
Drakkar shakes his head.
«Well, start with me then, okay?»
The boy nods and smiles, incredibly relaxed now. Soon after, from the opposite direction, a car catches Drakkar's attention: an old Citroën
2
CV of many colors. Sibylle's car! He slows down to look better but is not Sibylle the one at the wheel, it's Virginie and at her side there is Nora. From the open roof of the car there is a single mattress sticking out. Virginie and Nora are having their usual quarrel and when they come closer, Drakkar can hear their voices shouting. Nora is blaming her friend for how bad she drives and Virginie replies with funny insults.

«Do you know them?» Nathan asks, noticing his interest.

«Yes.» answers Drakkar with a big smile.

Nathan raises his eyebrows.
«Mmmm, beautiful girls, maybe one day you'll introduce me to them?»
The car passes and Drakkar accelerates.
«Gladly.» says, looking at him with a strange amused expression.

After a few minutes they reach their destination. The neighborhood where Nathan lives is a relatively prestigious neighborhood. Drakkar stops the jeep and Nathan gets ready to jump off.

«Well, here I am. Thanks for everything, Romain, and forgive me again for last night.»

The boy approach his fist and Drakkar bumps it with his. Nathan get off the jeep but the man holds him by the arm handing him money, lots of money. The boy looks at him in amazement.

«Wow! No, I
—
I cannot accept.»

Drakkar takes his hand and puts the money on it.

«My grandfather used to say: “
Never refuse money, wine or a good fuck
”.»

They both laugh softly.

«Thanks, Romain.» says Nathan touched by his generosity.

Drakkar caresses his shoulder in a brotherly gesture.

«Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?»

«Absolutely. I'm home, everything is fine now.»

«Ok, but if you need anything you know where I live.»

Nathan purses his lips and nods, then goes away disappearing into a side road. Drakkar shifts the gear and departs.
In the meantime, Nathan peeks to see if Drakkar is gone, then comes out and goes to the metro nearby looking around suspiciously, as if he feared other human beings.

Hidden in front of a van, Drakkar watches him from the side mirror.

«“
Everything is fine
” my ass.» he comments nervous before to pick up the phone.

«Yes, I'm behind him.» answers a male voice.

«Good. Keep me informed about his location. And thanks for your help, I know that today is your day off.» says Drakkar.

«People like us don't really have days off, even if it is just a personal favor.» says his colleague.

He closes the call and Drakkar looks at the man following Nathan in the metro. Drakkar warned him that morning, just after breakfast, he knew that the boy was hiding something.

~

An hour later, Nathan arrives in a dilapidated building occupied by criminals, drug dealers, prostitutes and desperate of all kinds. With his hands in his pockets and his head bowed he heads inside. Drakkar is parked distant enough, looking at him with his professional binoculars. His colleague arrives and jumps on the jeep, complaining about the dogs on the back seat.

«Romain, you surprise me. What kind of people you hang around with? Look where this little bastard lives. Who is he anyway?»

Drakkar puts back the binoculars.

«Is a boy too weak to cope with this kind of life.»

The other man snorts.

«What do you care? That little bastard is in the right path to become a criminal.»

«He is just afraid, Tof. And when you're afraid you become numb, and when you become numb you are three steps away from losing your humanity.»

«Oh come on, just take me home. That little scumbag needs some discipline.»

Drakkar looks grim.

«He needs understanding, Tof.»

«Romain, those like him are the shit against which we risk our lives! What do you think he will become? I am sure that he already is a drug dealer's pet, or maybe the bitch of a local boss. We fight against these assholes, did you forget?»

«No, I never forget it. Just like I don't forget to hold steadily at my humanity to avoid becoming a sick, dangerous, stupid prey of hate. I don't know about you, Tof, but I'm more than that. I am a man. And I dare you to call Nathan “little bastard” again.»

~

Around
3
am Drakkar is returning home from work. It has been a difficult but rewarding day. He parks the motorbike in the driveway and dismounts with elegance. He is dressed in a white and black biker suit; takes off his helmet and puts it on the seat heading to the entrance. He stops when he sees something at the front door: lying on the ground there is Nathan sleeping curled up in a fetal position. Drakkar sits back on his heels touching him on the shoulder and the boy wakes up immediately, eyes wide open. He relaxes when he sees Drakkar, then he sits up straight and looks at the man in embarrassment.

«I
—
I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have come but I took your “
you know where I live
” as an invitation.»

«It was.»

Drakkar notices several bruises on his neck.

«Who has beaten you up?»

«Uhmm, friends.»

«Find new friends.»

Nathan lowers his head.

«Yes, I need to fix my messed life.»

Drakkar stands up and Nathan looks up to him, smiling bitterly.

«Romain, I
—
I came just to ask you if I could stay here for the night. I'm a little... scared.»

Drakkar gives him his hand helping him to get up.

«Isn't there anyone waiting for you at home?»

«No.» He looks away, adding in a broken voice: «I don't even have a house anymore.»

Drakkar smiles.

«This is not true, you have a home. I have a guest room where I handcuff drunk people who attack me at night. It can be your room if you want.»

«Thanks, Romain, thank you! You are very generous, I won't take advantage of it. Tomorrow morning I'll be gone before you wake up, I promise!»
Drakkar giggles hoarsely.

«I didn't explain myself well: my offer wasn't just for tonight, Nathan, it was for ever.»

Nathan opens his mouth in amazement and blinks several times.

«What?! You... What?! No, I can't
—
I bring nothing but troubles, Romain.»

Drakkar tilts his head to the side.

«Oh really? Let them come, I'm here.» he says smiling confidently.

«No, I
—
I cannot accept.» says Nathan touching his forehead in disbelief.
«My grandfather used to say: “
Never refuse money, wine or a home
”.»
Nathan looks at him.

«But wasn't: “
money, wine or a good fuck
”?»

«He used to say that when he was drunk.»

Both laugh, then Nathan presses his lips to hold back the tears.

«God, I'm gonna cry like a little girl! My father would laugh hard at me: “
Real men do not cry, Nan! You are just a pussy, a fucking loser!
”»

Drakkar laughs softly with his mouth closed.

«Your father is an idiot. It is not true that real men don't cry, real men don't make others cry.»

Nathan lowers his head, feeling stupid. Drakkar puts a hand on his neck, drawing him gently to him.

«I know what it means to be alone, to be afraid, and have to face life anyway. I know is not easy to trust strangers but you must learn to trust in order to be trusted. Nathan, I'm not good with certain words, but if there is a place where you can find protection, friendship and understanding that is my home. So, will you stay?»

Nathan clings to him and begins to cry convulsively. Drakkar hugs him tight and smiles: that must be his “yes”.

“Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”
 

—
Lao Tzu

~

A few nights later, a black car with an opalescent silver spiral on the side stops in front of a terrace house just outside Paris.

Sibylle thanks Yves, the chauffeur, with whom she spoke for the entire trip. The man winks at her.

«Have a nice evening,
madame.
And with Drakkar it will be for sure.»

«He he, I think so too.»

«But if I may ask,
madame
, I don't understand this erotic fantasy of yours. You told me about the last unhappy years of your marriage, so why do you want to play the role of a submissive wife to a cruel husband?»

Sibylle smiles sweetly.

«Because my husband wasn't cruel, so I'm not recreating a situation I actually lived. This has nothing to do with him. It is not the fantasy itself that intrigues me, but is the idea of Drakkar being my severe husband that fascinates me.»

Yves nods and wishes her a good evening.

Sibylle get off the car and goes inside of that lovely house, another property of the Club D. When she enters she admires that original, colorful interior decoration. The curtains, the table, the chairs, the kitchen, the textiles, everything is of a different color from other furniture. It looks like a house designed by a child. She watches the acid green clock: it's
8:30
pm. In half an hour Drakkar will be there. She goes upstairs to take a shower, and then she puts on a knee length light purple dress, a pair of lovely red shoes with low heels and goes into the kitchen, where she finds the dinner ready in the fridge, as Saphir told her. She prepares the table for two putting some candles and a vase of flowers too, the she sits down waiting for Drakkar. She looks around to be sure everything is perfect. It is. She looks at the clock: almost
9
pm. Drakkar is about to arrive.

It's midnight.

Sibylle has already eaten and now she is resting her arm on the table and her head on the arm, wondering why Drakkar hasn't arrived yet. She is about to cry. But why she should cry for something like this? That man is just an occasional lover. She doesn't know anything about him, she doesn't even know his face! She gets up, turns on the TV to have company while washing her plate and her glass. In the background the news reports a delicate operation performed by the special forces of the DAFT, which took place a few hours before. The journalist is commenting boldly what had happened, while the images show the men of the special forces with their covered faces taking away some handcuffed criminals.