Mr. Comedian finishes the job. I get you his PC.

That's what Papa Smurf had promised Lili. Adam hadn't believed him then, and he didn't believe him now. Not after spending the rest of the morning unloading food supplies from not one but two refrigerator trucks on his own.

After Lili left for work, doubt turned into certainty—Papa Smurf would not keep his end of the bargain.

Too late to change my mind.

The other kids were long gone too; they left once Papa forbade them to help Adam. If he didn't take into account the dozens of cockroaches climbing on the dark grey walls, no one was down there with him, in that gloomy parking lot where wet, stagnant air always lurked, except for the two truck drivers smoking a cigarette and Papa Smurf.

Just a couple more bags, Adam's back muscles felt like bricks, and his legs were on fire. If I'm lucky, these guys will keep him busy until —

"Who's an obedient bitch?"

Damn it!

Adam threw the heavy sack of Harina P.A.N. inside the last store unit to the left.

"Hey! I'm talking to you."

"Coming," Adam said.

"No. I'm cumming," Papa Smurf moved his hand as if he were masturbating.

Adam became very aware of the river of sweat running down his back. As tired as he was, if Papa Smurf tried anything at all, he would fight back, even if it meant ending with holes in his chest and a tag around his big toe.

Don't be stupid! Think of Bianca and Dario.

"What's with the face, Mr. Comedian? It was a joke! Are you mad? You look mad."

"No."

Adam hurried to get the next sack.

"No mood for jokes, huh? Then it would help if you entertained me with facts," Papa Smurf swirled a cigarette between his fingers as he walked away from the truck drivers. "Here's an idea! How long have you been banging your neighbor?"

Adam ran a hand over his head, flicking the sweat to the ground.

Not saying anything might be worse.

"No banging. Just neighbors."

"Bullshit."

"What do you want me to say?"

"Details. Did you ram that big ass before coming down here?"

Adam felt a wave of anger.

"I wish," he replied, saying what Papa Smurf wanted to hear.

"Anyone would want to bang her. Unless you're a fag," the boy tilted his head. "You a fag?"

Done. Adam put the last bag in the storage unit, and his legs quaked; for a moment, he feared they might give way entirely. There was nothing he wanted more than to sit down, at least for a few minutes, to catch his breath, but his adrenaline kept him on edge. Being around Papa Smurf was like being around a wild animal.

"I'm not gay."

"So you've jacked off fantasizing about those tities, am I right?"

He'd finished the job, so why was Papa Smurf keeping him down here? Because he's in control and he likes it. Adam locked the padlock and turned to the boy. Gotta get out of this.

"So? My PC?"

"Right. Your Porno Collection. You look like a sick fuck that enjoys Chinese cartoons about mind-controlling aliens that rape high-school girls and stuff.

Adam's face went a little green. That comment was eerily specific. He didn't suppose he masturbated more or less than any other man his age, but it was true: he enjoyed watching hentai. Was that a lucky guess, or did Papa Smurf know everything that happened in the Eden Towers as Lili said?

"Bet I don't watch as much porn as you."

Papa Smurf laughed.

"I don't like porn, man. I fuck. Who do you think got my girlfriend pregnant? The Holy Ghost? While you milk yourself like a cow, I can snap my fingers and have women..." He pointed at his crotch. "Right where I want them."

Once Papa Smurf finished checking the padlocks and paid the truck drivers in cash, he asked Adam to come with him to his apartment.

God. Am I getting my computer back?

On the way up in the elevator, Adam was glad the boy didn't take his eyes off his phone; several women much younger than his sister undressing in Snapchat grabbed all his attention. The idea that Bianca lived in a world where this happened upset his stomach.

On the tenth floor, the relentless barking of that damn dog echoed down the hallway.

"Stay outside," Papa Smurf told Adam as he walked into his apartment.

This time, Adam didn't wait long. Not a minute went by when Papa Smurf was back, holding an expandable police baton.

A torrent of images flooded Adam's mind: a truck-mounted water cannon shooting protesters down with a brutal stream of water, shattering their bones as they hit the ground hard; the National Guard riot shields smeared with red; expandable batons, like the one Papa Smurf held in his hand, cracking the skulls of teenagers like Bianca; the screams of pain and anguish drowned by a maddening buzzing sound?

"What are you waiting for, Mr. Comedian?" Papa Smurf asked. "You want it wrapped for Christmas or something?"

"I don't understand."

"The deal was you finish the job; I get Lili the PC."

"I remember."

"The job's not done."

"I'm done."

Papa Smurf's mouth drew back in a grimacing smile.

"That's cojones right there. I castrated my dog, tho. There's no reason I couldn't do it again."

"I'm done unloading your contraband."

"You're not unloading shit. Grab the baton."

Does he want my fingerprints on the weapon, maybe? No. It makes no sense. He's holding it without gloves.

"No."

"Okay," Papa Smurf threw the baton back inside, causing a loud metallic racket in his living room. "Good for you. Living a life free of worldly possessions will wash away your sins, Mr. Comedian."

Adam's neck tensed. Where had he heard that phrase before?

Stop worrying about stupid stuff. Get your PC back.

Before Papa Smurf could close the gate, Adam stopped him.

"Wait! Okay. What do you want me to do?"

"What my dog couldn't—Get rid of the homeless guy in the other parking lot."

"You want me to kill someone?"

Papa Smurf shrugged.

"I have an incoming shipment I need stored, and it reeks down there. Dead or alive, I don't care. I want him and his smelly ass out of my domain."

"No."

"Are you going to let her down?"

"What?"

"Do it for her."

Adam wasn't sure why, but he thought Papa Smurf was talking about Bianca and not Lili. He couldn't shake the feeling that the boy knew more than he was letting on, and that was terrible news for him.