Landlord in the Arctic

"Ladies, dinner time!" the black man announced in a mocking tone, looking at the women in the room.

A derisive smile played on his lips, his eyes filled with contempt as his gaze brazenly roamed over the women.

When Erica saw the potato chips in his hands, the rage simmering in her heart instantly erupted. She began to curse, "You bastards! Can’t you fry a goddamn egg? You don’t know how to make toast? Every day it’s either potato chips or Oreos. I’m going to puke!"

"Hey, woman. I may not be into women, but that doesn’t mean I won’t hit one. You really think this is a Michelin restaurant? Take it or leave it!"

The man glared viciously at Erica, his eyes filled with an undisguised threat. Then, as if feeding livestock, he tossed the bags of chips onto the floor one by one.

The chip bags traced arcs through the air, landing on the floor with a series of CRINKLES.

"Untie our hands! How are we supposed to eat otherwise?!" Erica demanded.

She met his gaze without flinching, a clear act of defiance showing she would not submit so easily.

"I really should send you to that bastard Andy. He’d love those long legs of yours."

The man sneered. ’This stupid woman. Maybe a little lesson will teach her to understand her situation.’ A nauseating, twisted, and savage smile spread across his face, enough to make one’s skin crawl.

"This reminds me of a game. It’s how you white people used to ’take care’ of us black folk."

With that, he walked to the middle of the room, squatted down leisurely, and picked up a bag of chips. He deliberately tore it open in front of them and poured the contents all over the floor.

"Go on, eat up. They’re very tasty."

The man stood up, watching them with a taunting gaze. His laughter was filled with scorn and malice, as if he were savoring their rage and relishing the thrill of crushing their dignity.

So humiliated, Erica lost it. She kicked at the scattered chips on the floor, sending them flying as she cursed.

"Fuck! You’re dead meat, you bastard! When I get out of here, I’m going to carve you up and feed you to the crabs in the Bering Sea!"

"You bitch, I’ve had enough of that foul mouth of yours. I’m going to carve it open and see what color is on the inside."

The man’s smile twisted into a savage grin, a murderous glint in his eyes. He pulled a butterfly knife from his pocket and began to flip it skillfully, its blade glinting coldly in the light.

He then advanced on Erica, one slow step at a time. Each footfall was like a blow to her heart.

Faced with real danger, all of Erica’s earlier belligerence vanished without a trace.

Filled with terror, she could only kick out with her legs, trying in vain to keep the approaching man at bay.

But with her hands and feet bound, she was powerless before him. Every struggle was just a futile act of resistance.

"N-no... don’t come any closer... Get away!"

Beside them, Jenny’s eyes were filled with pleading. Her voice panicked, she shuffled her body in front of Erica. "Sir, Erica doesn’t mean it, please don’t do this! You promised Feng you wouldn’t hurt us. You can’t go back on your word!"

Tammy was so terrified she buried her face in Jenny’s arms, her body trembling uncontrollably. She let out a weak sob. "Sister Jenny..."

"You bastard, don’t you want the ransom money?! Back off!" Demi yelled, her eyes wide as she glared at the man, trying to scare him away with words.

However, the man was completely unmoved. He brandished the butterfly knife, a savage smile on his face as he snarled.

"Fuck it. Boss Hal said the moment we get the money is the moment you all go to heaven. Now get the hell over here."

As he spoke, the man, Bobby, reached out and grabbed the iron chain around Erica’s neck, then gave it a hard yank.

Caught completely off guard, Erica was yanked down to his feet. Her body slammed hard against the floor with a muffled grunt.

He then planted his foot on Erica’s back, pressing down hard to pin her in place.

Then, he grabbed a handful of her hair, his fingers tangling in it tightly, and wrenched her head back, forcing her to look up.

Crying out in pain, Erica was forced to tilt her head back, her face a mask of terror and helplessness.

As the sharp blade inched toward the corner of her mouth, Erica’s terror finally erupted, and she let out a bloodcurdling scream.

The scream was piercing and shrill, reverberating through the room as if it would tear through the very roof.

Erica thrashed desperately, trying to break free, but it was useless. Fear had sapped all her strength.

"Go on and curse now, you bitch!"

Bobby snarled through clenched teeth, his face a twisted mask of a smile, his eyes filled with madness.

’Erica had cursed him countless times over the past few days. Now he finally had the chance to personally carve open that annoying, foul mouth of hers.’

A twisted sense of satisfaction surged within him at the thought of finally being able to shut the mouth he detested so much.

His eyes shone with a deranged excitement.

"Come on, baby."

Just as the tip of the knife came within an inch of the corner of Erica’s mouth...

Three muffled thuds echoed faintly from downstairs. The sound was dull and suppressed, followed immediately by a sharp ringing in his ears.

The piercing ring shattered the frozen, tense atmosphere in the room.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

In almost the same instant, a barrage of gunfire erupted from downstairs, as rapid and fierce as a downpour hammering on a tin roof.

The barrage of gunfire made Bobby flinch, and the butterfly knife in his hand froze.

He jerked his head up in alarm, his eyes wide with fear and confusion as he tried to locate the source of the shooting.

Erica, meanwhile, seized the momentary pause to gasp for air.

She had just had a brush with death and still hadn’t recovered from the absolute terror.

The other women in the room were stunned for a moment, then sparks of hope ignited in their eyes. Their trembling subsided, replaced by a tense anticipation for the rescue they knew was coming.

At that moment, the man, now scared out of his wits, subconsciously released Erica and scrambled toward the door.

The moment he stepped outside the room, he heard the first floor fall suddenly quiet. The cacophony of gunfire and fighting had vanished, replaced by a dead silence.

The silence made his heart plummet. A sense of foreboding washed over him.

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

He quickly scrambled back into the room, leaning against the door and panting heavily, his eyes darting about in a panic as if searching for some way out.

Then, like a man possessed, he grabbed Erica and shoved her violently toward the doorway.

He then turned to Jenny and the others, shouting in a panic, "You, you, and you! All of you, get up! Get to the door! Move it, or I’ll really start killing people!"

His eyes were filled with terror and madness as he waved the butterfly knife around wildly in an attempt to threaten them.

And yet, at that moment, smiles simultaneously broke out on the faces of Jenny and the other women.

They knew Feng Mountain had come to save them.

Fighting through the pain and exhaustion, they all staggered to their feet and began to shuffle painfully toward the door.

But the iron chains around their necks mercilessly yanked them back, making every step an ordeal.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

A soft knock sounded from outside the door.

The man jolted as if he’d been shocked. In a state of extreme terror, he pressed his butterfly knife to Demi’s throat and shrieked.

"Stay out! I’m warning you, I’ll really do it! I’ll kill her!"

Then, Feng Mountain’s calm voice came from outside the door.

"Take it easy, man. There’s no need for this. I recognize your voice. You promised me you wouldn’t hurt them as long as I paid the ransom."

"What about Boss Hal? What happened to him?" the man asked in a trembling voice. He cowered behind Demi, his body shaking slightly, not daring to peek out at the door.

Through the door, Feng Mountain maintained his calm tone, trying to keep the kidnapper from panicking and doing something drastic to the hostages.

"Boss Hal? I’m not sure who that is, but we have the four men downstairs under control. I promise you, as long as you don’t hurt them, I can give you the money and let you leave. How does that sound?"

...