Page 20 of The Debt

“Christ,” Harold gasped as he staggered forward, then dropped to his knees with a grunt. “Are you fucking trying to kill me... or make a deal?”

Jarek looked at him stoically. Harold’s hands were braced against the ground with his fingers curling into the rough stone as he fought for breath.

“Take a moment.” Jarek’s voice was resolute, showing his indifference to the man’s suffering. He crouched nearby and unscrewed the cap off his water bottle. “Catch your breath. Look around. The view’s worth it, isn’t it?”

Harold’s head jerked up. He glared at Jarek, though his words came in broken gasps. “You... sadistic... bastard.”

Jarek smirked. He stayed crouched with one hand resting casually on his knee while the other held the water bottle just out of Harold’s reach.

“Come now, Harold. This was a short hike. Besides, you’re alive, aren’t you? Your lungs are filled with clean oxygen, and your pulse rate is up, which I suppose doesn’t happen often. It’s a win-win. Your heart will thank you one day.”

Harold sat back heavily with his legs splayed awkwardly as he grabbed at the bottle with shaky hands. He gulped the water down greedily causing some of it to spill down his chin. His breaths were still uneven but slowly stabilizing. The walking stick lay abandoned beside him as his polished image of a man of power and control was in tatters.

“I don’t... hike.” Harold’s voice was hoarse. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “And I don’t... negotiate... after nearly dropping dead.”

With deliberate movements. Jarek rose to tower over him. He capped the water bottle and slipped it back into his vest with a tranquil expression.

“Then you should’ve stayed in your air-conditioned office, Harold. But here you are. You came here because you suspect I have something you want. So, I suggest you get your act together.”

Still slumped on the ground and with his pride clearly wounded, Harold glared at him. He wiped the sweat off his brow with sluggish movements.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

Jarek didn’t answer. He turned instead, stepping closer to the edge of the bluff to stare at the landscape. His hands resting at his sides were steady.

“When you’re ready, make sure you’re going to listen and are prepared to take a huge risk. I didn’t hike up here just to listen to you whining,” he said without looking back.

Harold let out a low groan. It was the sound of a man realizing he was completely out of his depth.

“Then let’s not waste each other’s time, Mr. Dark One,” he said, his confidence returning now that he got to his feet. “This isn’t your territory, so I can only imagine you’re here to ruffle some feathers. Spit it out, sir. Why am I here?”

A faint breeze tugged at the brim of Jarek’s cap as he looked Harold over. Sweat still clung to his collar, and his chest rose and fell as he struggled to regain composure. His attempt to sound confident rang hollow since his words were shaky despite the bravado. Harold started fidgeting as Jarek let the silence hang for a moment.

“You’re here,”—Jarek’s voice darkened—“because you’re in the middle of securing a lucrative opportunity for the wrong man.”

Harold’s eyes narrowed as a flicker of confusion crossed his face before he masked it with his usual smugness.

“I am working on numerous deals all the time. What deal are you talking about?”

Jarek’s boots grated against the rocky surface as he stepped closer.

“Don’t play coy, Harold. I’m talking about the casino—to be more precise, the Cherokee Sunrise Casino Resort in Cherokee, North Carolina. You’ve been brokering the purchase of it for Polov. Quietly, behind closed doors.”

“Only three parties know about that. No one else is supposed to know,” Harold croaked.

Jarek tilted his head slightly, reveling in Harold’s reaction. “Except I do.”

The blood drained from Harold’s flushed cheeks. His beady eyes darted toward the trees, as though searching for someone, something, to rescue him.

“That’s... that’s impossible.” His voice climbed an octave. “How the hell could you even know about that? No one outside the principals involved in the deal knows. No one.”

Jarek allowed a thin smile. “I have my resources.” His tone carried an air of quiet dominance. “You should know, Mr. Harold. There’s nothing I can’t find out when I make the effort.”

Harold stepped back and swallowed hard at the subtle boast. “This is still Polov’s deal,” he replied in an attempt to push back, but his voice wasn’t convincing. “You’re wading into shark-infested waters. Do you have any idea what kind of man he is?”

“Oh, I know exactly what kind of man he is. But I didn’t come here to talk about Polov. I came here to talk about you.” He gestured toward the bluff’s edge, where the forest below stretched out endlessly. “You’ve spent your whole career making things happen for men like him. Greedy men. Dangerous men. You know how this game works, so you’re going to make it happen for me.”

Harold’s face twitched as his discomfort grew by the second. “And what exactly am I supposed to make happen?”

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