The nine men knelt on the ground as the blood of their fallen mate pooled around them, soaking their knees.
They were terrified, knowing that with even the slightest slip-up, they could be next.
The boss began to question them again.
'So which one of you was it? Look among yourselves and find me the one.'
Another irrational request. The panicked men began looking at one another in fear and distrust, searching for someone to blame.
One of the men with tanned skin seemed to be contemplating something, but he didn't say anything.
Finally, they landed on a guy with green-dyed hair. No one seemed to like him, and he clearly didn't like them either.
'It was him.'
They pushed him forward despite his resistance. They had decided he would be their sacrifice.
The boss looked at him coldly but menacingly.
'Are you the one who did this?'
He bowed his head to the ground, grovelling in front of the boss.
'It wasn't me! It wasn't! They're trying to frame me. I would never do something like this!'
After hearing this, the boss raised the barrel of his gun and aimed it at him.
The green-haired man curled into a ball in preparation to be shot.
BANG!
Another shot rang out. This time, rather than the green-haired man, it struck the guy who had pushed him forward—the loudest of those who had decided he should be sacrificed.
Struck in the chest by the bullet, he fell to the ground and began bleeding out as his life slowly slipped away.
A wave of realization washed over everyone there as they understood that the boss's madness had no discernible pattern.
'Does any of you have anything else to say?' he questions.
The men freeze in terror, realizing that they could all die there.
Finally, the tanned guy who had been holding something back speaks up.
'I—I remember. The people here are not the only ones who passed through here in the last hour.'
He points at a girl in the crowd behind the boss.
'Her. I saw her cross through this place. She's lying about not being here.'
The boss turns around in his seat to face her.
'Is that true?'
She cannot hide her guilt and begins clasping her hands together, begging for mercy.
But he doesn't show her any.
BANG! BANG!
The first bullet strikes her in the abdomen. That shot was simply to make her suffer. The next lands in her head, killing her.
'Is there anyone else who is lying to me?' he asks coldly.
People begin ratting out others who lied about passing through, and the boss ends up killing five more people.
'Boss, you've killed too many people,' Catheriana refutes the boss's trigger-happy attitude. 'If you keep this up, there won't be any people left on this ship.'
'You're stepping up, Catheriana. Are you perhaps going to find the person who did this for me?' he questions her. 'Or are you the one?'
'No, no,' Catheriana states, backing off. After that last statement, she realizes she isn't entirely out of the boss's sights.
Jane steps up after her.
'She isn't entirely wrong. This method is not sustainable.'
The boss considers it for a second.
'Alright then. I'll just kill these ones here first.'
He says this while referring to the people kneeling down.
BANG!
Before anyone can react, he shoots the green-haired guy.
The seven remaining men begin scrambling away to avoid being next.
BANG!
The boss shoots one of them who was about to get up.
The realization that they are all going to die begins to set in, and they start pleading with the boss for mercy.
BANG!
When this doesn't work, they start begging the executives.
The big guy among the ones who kidnapped Anna looks toward the crowd for help after spotting Rome and starts begging him.
Rome, moved by his friend's begging and seeing that the boss is going to kill him next, blurts out:
'Stop!'
He says it before he can even think about it.
The boss turns to him, perplexed at being interrupted again.
'What is it?'
Rome can sense it. He just knows that if he doesn't say something reasonable now, he is going to die.
His brain begins running through multiple possibilities, searching for something that can bail him out of the situation.
And finally, it lands on the perfect idea.
Why didn't I come up with this a long time ago?
'The person responsible for this is hiding, knowing fully well what would happen to them if they showed their face here and now,' he explains.
A really rational conclusion to come to.
'Are you suggesting there are those who didn't dare to show up when I called for everyone to gather?' the boss questions him further.
Fear strikes through Rome's body as the boss's eyes meet his.
His words catch in his tongue for a moment before he stops himself.
Is there really anyone that isn't here?
No one in their right mind would not answer when the boss called for them.
His eyes race around the crowd, looking for anyone, but no one in particular.
Then a person comes to mind.
Neighbour.
He scans the crowd for her, but she is missing.
So is the girl she was with.
That sorry Neighbor, but you will have to take the fall for me this time.
'Yes. There's the girl Sid and her buddy that you broke in today. She isn't here,' he finally says, throwing Sid under the bus.
'Broke in?' the boss questions. 'I did no such thing today. What are you talking about?!'
What?
Rome is startled.
The boss continues talking.
'But nevertheless, there are those who dare to remain hidden even after hearing my summons.'
At the mention of this, Catheriana tenses up.
The boss continues.
'All of you.'
He speaks while referring to the grunts.
'Go bring out anyone who dared hide from me. Force them out of their hiding place and place them in front of me.'
Hearing the command, they all begin to leave in hordes.
Catheriana is about to join the movement when the boss stops her.
'I didn't mean you people. You will remain here.'
Hearing the command, and how firm he is about it, Catheriana knows she can't defy him.
She looks back in the direction she came from, worry filling her expression.
Oh, Quin. I hope they don't find him.
He'd better listen to what I told him and not open the doors.