of course, benny knows a lot of the rumors are true. at least he knows better than to mingle with mercenaries in any meaningful way. he paces around the suite, some fancy cigars placed perfectly atop the bar. he forces some warmth onto his face, though it’s obvious it’s a facade. +

[ abruptly deeply unsettled. ]

i’ll have a cigarette ready for ya. believe me, i know a hell of a lot better than to mix business with my personal life. you ain’t gotta worry about me, baby.

missing swank today.

[ a scoff. ] it’s just business, faulkner, y’think i’m boneheaded or somethin’? [ as is benny, good old reliable maria. ]

i do. say, y’wanna come up and have a smoke?

hey

why is she purple now

hello?

flicking ashes off the end of his cigarette. there is a feeling in his stomach that something horrible may happen to him. he would wince if he knew what it was exactly — the mystery is something he can handle.

lighting a cigarette, maybe his third or fourth or maybe even fifth — surely, it’s not the fifth — in the past few hours. he hasn’t heard from swank.

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ AIN’T THAT A ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ 𝐊𝐈𝐂𝐊 IN THE ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ( 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃 — ? * )