If at
First
A Story by Leus
Episode Three:
Trust
“When
I checked the house I found the briefcase lying on the floor, open and empty,”
Theodore conveyed. “Under the bed in the same room were the two SMGs, but the
money was nowhere to be found.”
Timothy closed his fists and turned away. “I knew it,” he said
between clenched teeth. “The fucker was lying. And after his fuck-up last
night at the Bengotti deal… Well,” Timothy said with slight despair, “he’s
proving to be a lot more useless than I’d hoped.”
“What are we going to do?” Theodore asked.
“I guess we’ll have to make him comply,” Timothy stated sternly.
* * *
“So, let me get this
straight,” John said from the passenger seat of the LHS.
Kaje nodded. “Go for it,” he urged.
“Pretty much right after you dropped me off you scored with Fauna
again. Which, by the way, nice,” John added.
Kaje grinned. “Thanks,” he replied. He extended his hand palm-up
and John slapped it. They both chuckled.
“But, oh, then,” John continued, “you were chloroformed from behind
and you woke up in that same room with those business suit monks?” Kaje
nodded. “And then you proceeded to try to take on an entire building full of
armed criminals about five times before finally making it out alive, each time
waking up in the room with the three men?”
Kaje nodded again. “I don’t know what the pattern is. I seem to
wake up at random points during the day,” he said, then stopped. He put on a
contemplative face. “I think that IS the pattern, actually,” he said after a
moment. John donned a thoughtful expression as if Kaje was onto something.
“Yeah,” Kaje continued. “When I die, I wake up at the last point I woke up from
natural unconsciousness. It all fits. Waking up in the morning, after the jeep
wreck, after the chloroform. I’ve got it!”
“So you think that it’s actually happening then?” John asked.
Kaje nodded. “Yeah, I don’t think it’s just premonition. I think
it’s some sort of time travel or something,” Kaje explained.
John shook his head. “No,” he said. He hesitated and sighed
slightly before continuing. “I mean, all of it. You think it’s real.”
Kaje turned and raised an eyebrow. “What?” he asked, confused and
taken aback by John’s implication.
“Look, man, “John began. “We’ve been friends forever, and I know
you’d have no reason to lie to me. But listen to what you’re saying. You don’t
think it’s all a bit… Crazy?”
Kaje paused, then laughed slightly and turned back towards the front
of the car. “Just wait,” said Kaje ominously. They pulled into Kaje’s driveway
and Kaje turned the car off. He stepped out of the car and walked up to his
house, followed by John.
The two passed through the living room where Kaje’s father sat
reading the paper. He looked up and saw the boys walking by. “Hey, guys,” he
said, then went back to reading.
“Hey, dad,” Kaje said half-heartedly.
“Hi Mr. Greer,” John said and gave a slight wave. He and Kaje
walked the rest of the way to Kaje’s room and closed to the door. Immediately
afterwards Kaje knelt down on the floor and reached under his bed.
In a moment Kaje was standing in the center of his room holding two
rather large SMGs. John’s eyes went wide and he pointed at them, speechless.
“I know,” said Kaje.
“What… The hell…” John said, unable to come up with anything else.
“And that’s not all,” Kaje continued, walking over to the corner of
his room and stooping by his shelves. John knew what he was going for. Inside
the dresser was a broken panel, and since they were young Kaje and John had used
that space for storing important things.
Kaje pulled the panel back and reached inside. After a little
digging he withdrew his money-filled hand. John stared on in awe. “Jesus,” he
said.
Kaje grinned and began counting. “One, two, three… Five… Ten…
Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen hundred bucks right here in my hand,” Kaje
declared. “And that’s only a fraction of it.” John’s jaw dropped and Kaje
laughed and stuck the money back inside the makeshift compartment, resetting the
panel in place once more. Finally, he stood in the middle of the room, glowing
with pride and looking on expectantly at John.
John closed his mouth and gulped. “The hell is going on?” he
muttered after a moment.
Kaje walked over to John and put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ve told
you everything so far, man,” Kaje assured him. John looked away.
* * *
The wild night on the town
was beginning. Holden’s parents had lent him their van despite his instant
wreckage of his new jeep. He was spoiled.
Everyone was there. Jimmy, Dwayne, Holden, Holden’s woman Jessica,
and by Jimmy’s request, Fauna.
Holden and his woman sat in the front seat, Dwayne sat in the
middle, and Jimmy and Fauna sat in the back. They were on their way to pick up
Kaje. Fauna turned to Jimmy.
“Jimmy,” she said.
Jimmy turned to face her. “Fauna,” he replied, grinning slightly
with amusement upon saying her name.
“What is Kaje like?” she inquired.
Jimmy shrugged. “What do you mean?” he asked before taking a swig
from the fifth of vodka he held in his hand.
“I mean, who is he? What’s
he like? What don’t I know?” she asked.
Jimmy squinted at her, then sighed. “I dunno,” he responded. “Me
and Kaje are best friends, and I know that most of his life is open to the
public. I don’t think he really has any secrets. I mean all I can think of is
that nerd, John.”
“Who?” Fauna asked, interested.
“This nerd, John,” Jimmy repeated. “Him and Kaje have been friends
since forever apparently. They still chill together a lot. From what I’ve
heard, John sounds pretty funny.”
“Does he value John’s friendship more than yours? Should I be
trying to make myself look good in his eyes instead?” she joked. Jimmy pushed
her playfully, then shook his head.
“No, Kaje knows where his true boys are,” Jimmy said, pointing to
himself. “Better prove yourself to me.”
Fauna laughed. “Well then that doesn’t really help, does it?” she
said after a few seconds.
Jimmy shrugged. “I can’t think of anything you’d need to know,
regardless of whether or not I’d tell you,” Jimmy stated.
“Oh well,” Fauna replied. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll have him all
over me with my charm and good looks, anyway.” Jimmy laughed as if she’d made a
joke.
* * *
J.C. sat alone in his
garage with a bong and a bag of weed. He held the lighter of the bowl, which
had four whole nuggets packed into it. Striking the flame, he began breathing
into the top of the device, gently at first, then more deeply, causing the water
to bubble and the glass to cloud. After a moment he finally pulled the carb.
Taking in the rest of his lung capacity in clean air, he set the bong down and
held it in.
DING-DONG! His doorbell was singing. “Shit,” he said, a bit of
smoke escaping his lips. He coughed, then breathed out and let all of the smoke
float free through the air. He coughed a few more times, then made his way
inside. Without looking, he opened the door. “Hey, guys,” he said.
* * *
“See you later,” John said
as he stepped out of Kaje’s front door.
“Later,” Kaje replied, disappointment somewhere in the back of his
tone. John closed the door and walked away, and Kaje sighed. John didn’t
believe him.
Kaje walked to his room and swept the weapons beneath his bed once
more, then proceeded to lie down and wait for the boys. It didn’t take long.
Soon his doorbell rang. He walked through his empty house to the
door and opened it. Dwayne and Jimmy stood there, each carrying a fifth. Kaje
looked down at the alcohol then back up at his friends. “The hell, guys? What
if my parents had been here?” he asked accusingly.
Jimmy shrugged. “Where are they?” he asked.
“At some play all night,” Kaje replied.
“Gay,” Jimmy said, laughing. Kaje grabbed the fifth from Jimmy’s
hand and took a swig. Jimmy smiled at the enthusiasm.
“Let’s go get some weed!” Dwayne suggestively announced. Everyone
cheered and piled into the van.
Kaje saw Fauna but pretended not to. He stepped over her and sat on
her left, and Jimmy settled in to her right. Kaje then looked over at Fauna and
emitted a phony groan. “What’s she doing here?” he whined. He’d found that
Fauna appreciated that kind of humour. Fauna rolled her eyes and pushed him,
and a few various people had a slight chuckle. The doors slammed closed and
they were off to J.C.’s place.
It didn’t take long to get there. Soon, Jimmy and Kaje were out the
sliding back door and walking up to J.C.’s front door. They knocked, then
waited. There was no response. Jimmy rang the doorbell a few times and Kaje
knocked some more. Still no response. Jimmy tried the doorknob. It turned
with ease the door swung open.
* * *
“Hey,
guys,” J.C. said, opening the door and staring through the slits in his
eyelids. Instead of his friends, though, he saw a solitary old man standing on
the welcome mat. Without being invited, the man pushed past J.C. and walked
inside. “Hey, what the fuck, man?” J.C. said, flustered and angry.
The man moved slowly and with grace, his frail frame seemingly
dancing across the room. He walked to the center of the room, then swept his
right arm behind him, turning with the motion. When he stopped he was facing
J.C., a warm smile upon his face. “What is your relationship to the one known
as Jacob Greer?” the man inquired kindly.
J.C. raised an eyebrow. “Man, what the fuck you want with Kaje?
Get out my house!” he ordered, pointing at the door. The older gentleman did
not comply. “Who the fuck are you?” J.C. asked.
“My name is Roger,” the man replied. “I need to know what you know
about Jacob Greer.”
J.C. sighed angrily and scowled at the man. “Roger, you’ve got five
seconds to get the fuck out,” J.C. threatened. The man cocked his head to the
opposite side and stood patiently. “Five, four, three, two, one,” J.C. said,
then stepped forward and tried to grab the man by the shoulders. Roger reached
fourth with one hand and grabbed J.C.’s arm, twisting it clockwise. J.C. tried
to turn his body with the pressure, and was taken to the ground because of it.
J.C. looked up at Roger, who hovered above him, still smiling
warmly. J.C. gulped as Roger bent down and grabbed J.C. by the shirt collar,
lifting him into a standing position once more. J.C. was considerably bigger
than Roger, clocking in at 6’4” and 280 pounds. But that didn’t seem to matter
to Roger. He held J.C.’s arms at his sides with his hands, firmly keeping them
in place. “I’ll ask you again,” Roger began. “Tell me about Jacob. What does
he like? Who are his friends?”
“What the hell do you want?” J.C. asked, short of breath. Roger
shook his head, then stepped back. He drew his right arm back, palm-out,
fingertips facing the floor. Within a second he’d stuck fourth, turning his
hand 180 degrees so his fingers pointed at the ceiling. His palm had collided
with J.C.’s chest and sent him sailing backwards. He landed on his wooden
coffee table, breaking it in two. He groaned and struggled to breathe.
Roger stepped towards J.C. and the splintered mess.
* * *
John
walked along the sidewalk. It was about a two hour walk from Kaje’s house to
his own, but John felt the exercise was important. In fact, that was why he’d
refused to get a driver’s license so far.
John heard a noise. He stopped, waited and glanced back and
fourth. After a moment he sighed. He checked his watch. 9:55 PM. He exhaled
through tight lips and began walking again, more briskly now.
Suddenly a dark figure side-stepped stealthily in front of John,
stopping him in his tracks. It was clear that the strange man intended to
confront John, and his frail frame didn’t appear too threatening, so John spoke
up. “Uhm,” John began, “can I help you?”
The man took a step forward and became better illuminated by the
lights running down the night street. He was old and weathered with blue eyes
and a strange scar burned into his bare forehead. He grinned slightly beneath
his bushy white moustache. His shaven scalp glistened slightly with sweat below
the streetlights.
“My name is Roger,” the man said.
“Roger,” John muttered aloud. The name sounded familiar. He’d
heard it very recently, but he could not quite recall where. John’s eyes rolled
upwards in a thoughtful fashion, and Roger chuckled slightly. “You’ve heard of
me?” he inquired.
John snapped back into reality and locked eyes with Roger. “I think
so,” John said. “But I can’t quite put my finger on it. Where do I know you
from?”
Roger took another step forward. “Perhaps a friend of yours has
mentioned me,” Roger suggested. He grabbed John by the neck and gripped
tightly. “I’ll probably become a regular character around here soon enough.”
In an instant all the memories came rushing back to John. He
grabbed at Roger’s hand with both of his own, but failed to free himself from
the man’s grip. John whimpered slightly, and his knees buckled.
* * *
Fauna
noticed the conflict at J.C.’s door. She got out of the van and walked up to
the house.
Jimmy, Kaje and Fauna all stepped into J.C.’s house. J.C. was lying
on the floor in the corner, breathing shallowly. He bled from his nose and
clutched his left arm tenderly. Looking up, he saw his friends. He tried to
speak, but coughed instead.
Kaje rushed to J.C.’s side and knelt beside him. “Holy shit, what
the fuck happened?” Kaje asked frantically.
J.C. steadied his breathing and calmed himself down. After a
moment, he spoke. “Some old guy. Said his name was Roger. Asked about you,
Kaje,” J.C. said, looking up at his friend.
Kaje glanced downwards disappointedly, then back up to J.C. “What
did he say?” Kaje asked.
“He just kept asking about you, and using your name, Jacob Greer,”
J.C. explained. He sighed and looked depressed.
“What is it?” Kaje urged.
“He was a tiny old man. I towered over him and he kicked my ass,”
J.C. said. “It was pathetic.”
“I’m sure he had more than just plain human strength behind him,”
Kaje reassured J.C.
J.C. looked up and raised an eyebrow. “What? Man, what kind of
people you got yourself mixed up with here?” J.C. inquired.
Kaje frowned. “I don’t know, man. And I’d appreciate if we could
keep this between us, if you don’t mind,” Kaje requested, looking back at Jimmy
and Fauna and receiving nods of compliance. Kaje smiled, then looked back to
J.C.
“Of course, man,” J.C. said. “I was going to ask you for the same
thing. Think I want any more people than I can help knowing I got my ass kicked
by some old white guy?”
Kaje chuckled slightly, then extended a hand to help J.C. up. J.C.
took it and was soon on his feet. He sighed. “Well, fuck this,” he said.
“Let’s go get fucked up.”
Kaje grinned and smacked him on the left shoulder. J.C. winced
slightly. “Oh, sorry man,” Kaje said apologetically.
“Don’t worry about it,” J.C. said. “Let me go get that weed.” J.C.
walked off into another part of the house. Kaje turned to face Fauna and Jimmy.
Jimmy was looking on in awe, but when he saw Kaje’s face he
grinned. “You can tell me about this shit later,” he said, then turned and
walked back to the van.
Fauna looked on concernedly. “Gangs?” she inquired with a single
word.
Kaje smiled as if he knew something she didn’t, then looked to the
ground. “Something like that,” he said after a moment as he looked back up at
her. The two walked out together and were followed shortly by J.C. Soon,
despite the evening’s occurrences so far, the wild night had begun.
* * *
“Get him. Tell him to meet
us in the alley behind Public’s,” Timothy ordered. Roger stood proudly by his
prize. Theodore nodded, acknowledging his father’s command.
He walked outside to his car. Reaching for the handle, he paused.
He’d forgotten his keys.
He sighed and looked around. There were kids all over screaming and
having a good time. Sure, it was Saturday evening, but it seemed that there
were even more kids than usual tonight. The noise was almost too much for
Theodore. He tried to ignore it as he walked back inside, grabbed his keys and
once more returned to his car.
This time he got in, started the engine, and drove away towards Kaje’s house.
* * *
Kaje laughed heartily, a
smoldering joint dangling from his lips. He closed his mouth around the paper
and sucked, inhaling deeply.
J.C. was even more quiet than usual this night, which was quite a
feat. He’d done a good job concealing his injuries, though. Not one expression
of concern had been directed at him the whole night.
The van full of obnoxiously loud boys pulled into the Arby’s
drive-through. They ordered $63 worth of food, which was blatantly ridiculous,
but they didn’t care. When they saw the total they just began laughing even
harder. “Pull around to the first window, please,” came a voice from the
speaker.
Holden complied. He stepped on the gas and turned up the music.
Massive Attack blared through the speakers.
At the first window the van rolled to a stop. The boys looked
inside eagerly, but it was dark. They frowned and tried to make out what was
inside. It looked cluttered and stationary. The occupants of the vehicle
became very confused.
After a few minutes of uneventful waiting and cars piling up behind
them, a man leaned out from a window up ahead. He urgently motioned for Holden
to pull forward.
Utterly confused now, the boys looked around dazedly, trying to
discern what was happening. Finally, Dwayne spoke up. “Oh, shit, guys!” he
yelled. “We’re at the janitor’s closet!”
The others looked and, sure enough, the dark room was full of what
appeared to be mops and old shelves. There was a hesitation, then an eruption
of raucous laughter. Holden stepped on the gas once more, and a few seconds
later finally arrived at the correct window, music blaring, laughter sounding
all around.
The leaning man had been replaced with a middle-aged overweight
woman who may have possibly been balding. Before her sat several large bags.
She began to hand them one by one to Holden, who proceeded to pass them out to
the other laughing people in the van.
When the woman held the final bag in her hand, the music began to
rise. She extended the bag to Holden, seemingly in slow motion. The moment his
fingers closed around the paper the music reached a dramatic climax, and the
woman chuckled. “Good luck,” she said. Holden stared at her in disbelief, then
drove off.
There was silence for a moment, then Holden turned to the others.
Laughter erupted once more. “That woman was awesome!” Holden yelled.
“She totally knew what was going on, too,” Dwayne said. “We are so
blatantly intoxicated. Sixty-three fucking dollars of food?” More laughter
ensued.
It wasn’t a minute later that the van was stopped at an
intersection. Kaje glanced at the clock. 11:13. Then he glanced at the
sidewalk to his right. There, waiting for the crosswalk, was a man. He wore a
plaid button-up shirt tucked into tight jeans. His face was decorated with a
scraggily, thick, grey beard. Atop his head sat a cowboy hat. The man danced,
hopping from one leg to another, looking back and fourth patiently.
Kaje was in awe. He wasn’t excessively intoxicated, but the sight
of a dancing cowboy would be enough to set any man off. He burst into wild
laughter and pointed speechlessly at the man. One by one, the others in the car
noticed the dancing cowboy. One by one, the others in the car began choking on
their food or spitting it on the floor, pointing as well. When the light turned
green, Holden stepped on the gas and the group sailed away, screaming at the top
of their lungs.
Kaje thought he was going to suffocate on laughter. He needed
something to change his mood. He needed to be taken away from this dancing
cowboy train of thought. It was all too much hilarity for one night.
He turned to Fauna. She giggled madly and held her hand to her
mouth, closing her eyes. He glanced down. Her burger lie on her lap, closed
and uneaten. He looked back up at her, considering his options.
After a few seconds, he grabbed Fauna by the shoulder and turned her
towards him. She was surprised and it took her a second to focus on Kaje. In
that second, Kaje had viciously pressed his lips to hers and stuck his tongue
inside her mouth. Her burger fell onto the floor and her eyes widened in
confusion.
Soon, though, her arms were wrapped around his back and the two made
out in the backseat of the van. Jimmy glanced over and saw the display of
affection. “Whoooaaa!” Jimmy vaguely announced, pointing to Kaje and Fauna and
looking around the van for responses. Dwayne, C.J. and Jessica all turned to
see what was causing such a ruckus. Holden glanced into his rear view mirror
and caught the action as well. Everyone laughed.
Suddenly Kaje noticed that his phone was ringing. He pulled it out
and looked at the call I.D. “John’s House,” it read. Kaje clicked the phone
on.
“Joohn!” Kaje called out.
“Jooohn!” everyone in the car shouted, following suit, then
laughing.
From the other line came a short feminine chuckle. “Hi, Kaje. Hi,
boys,” said John’s mom.
“Oh! John’s mom!” Kaje said loudly, emphasizing the word “mom” and
looking urgently around the van. Most of the boys recognized the situation and
became quiet. An aura of dead silence soon filled the air.
“Yes, it’s me,” John’s mom replied. “Have you seen John today? He
hasn’t—“
“Not since earlier,” Kaje interrupted. “Oh, sorry. Go on.” Kaje
was confused, embarrassed and scared all at once. He still wasn’t overly
intoxicated, but he was still slightly inebriated, and combined with the fact
that he was now talking to his friend’s mother on the phone, this made quite the
impact on Kaje.
“He never came home from your house. He said he’d be home around
ten o’clock for dinner but he never made it. I thought maybe he got caught up
at your place,” John’s mom explained.
Kaje shook his head unnecessarily. He then laughed, both at the
fact that he’d just gestured to someone he was on the phone with, and at the
prospect of eating dinner at ten o’clock. “Nope, I haven’t seen him since he
left around eight,” Kaje said.
“Hmm,” John’s mom said.
“What time is it now?” Kaje inquired.
“Almost eleven thirty,” John’s mom replied without missing a beat.
Just then Kaje received a text message. “Hold on,” he said to
John’s mom, flustered and rushed. He clicked over to the text message. It read
“Dajtp twd.” The sender was “John’s Cell.” Kaje raised an eyebrow.
“Uhh, John’s mom?” Kaje said, feeling very disoriented.
“Yes, Kaje?” John’s mom replied.
“He just messaged me some weird random letters. I dunno what’s
going on,” Kaje stated. Everyone in the car exchanged quizzical looks upon
hearing this tidbit of the conversation.
Kaje’s mom took in a quick breath. “Do you think he’s alright?” she
asked, worry filling her tone.
“I’m sure he’s alright… I’ll try to get in touch with him…” Kaje
said, coming back into reality more, “and contact you again when I find him. Or
I’ll just let him know to come home if you want,” Kaje offered.
There was a pause from the other end. Finally, John’s mom
responded. “Yes, that would be great. Thank you, Kaje,” John’s mom said
sincerely.
“You’re welcome Mrs. D,” Kaje replied warm-heartedly.
“Bye, now,” John’s mom said before hanging up.
“See ya,” Kaje replied and clicked the phone off. The noise from
the other people in the car immediately started up again.
“Bye Mrs. D!” Jimmy mocked in a ridiculous voice, drawing out every
syllable much more than was needed.
“Shut up,” Kaje said, laughing. “I didn’t even sound like that.”
He tried to pull himself further into reality so he could figure out what was
going on.
Kaje then looked up. There, walking down the street in front of
him, was none other than the younger business suit monk; the only one whose name
Kaje did not yet know. Kaje gaped at the unlikely sighting.
Fauna saw Kaje’s expression and followed his gaze to the man. “Who
is that?” Fauna inquired, turning to face Kaje again.
The man walked to a car, reached for the handle then stopped. He
looked around for a moment then walked away. Kaje didn’t know what to do. He
had to act fast. “I’ve gotta go, guys,” he said, not responding to Fauna’s
question.
“Wait!” Fauna cried. “Don’t go out there! What are you going to
do?”
Kaje raised a finger to shush her. Before he could hear any more
objections he was out the door. He quickly glanced at the street sign.
“12th Avenue,” he said aloud, trying to help himself
remember. “12th Avenue,” he repeated a few more times, walking in a
slightly clumsy fashion over to the car the man had stopped in front of.
At first Kaje wasn’t sure what to do. He reached for the back door
handle and grabbed it. He pulled upon it and, to Kaje’s surprise, the door
opened. Without hesitation Kaje stored himself in a crouched position on the
floor behind the front seats. It wasn’t long before the man returned to the
car, got in and drove away.
Kaje looked around. To his absolute luck, a pistol holster lay
sprawled out on the floor before him, pistol still within. Kaje silently
removed and armed the pistol. Then, when he was sure the vehicle was out of
sight of its point of departure, Kaje struck.
He sat up quickly and pressed the gun into the man’s neck, causing
the man to swerve to the right and stop the car on the shoulder of the road.
The area was dark and quiet. No cars passed. “Who are you?” Kaje
inquired threateningly.
“Please,” the man said. “Don’t hurt me. My name is Theodore.
They’ve got your friend and I don’t know what they’re going to do with him.”
“John,” Kaje muttered.
“Yes, John,” Theodore confirmed. “They sent me to tell you to meet
them in the alley behind Public’s.”
“Is John alright?” Kaje asked.
“When I was sworn into the family business I was led to believe we
would never hurt an innocent person,” Theodore explained, “but I don’t know
where they’re going with this ‘business’ anymore. I honestly don’t know if
they’ll hold to that pact. We have to get there or it might be too late.”
Kaje nodded. “Get us there. Fast. And while you’re at it, explain
what’s happening to me,” he ordered.
“You’ve been endowed with the Mark of Aetas. It grants you a very
unique and powerful ability. When you die, your body will be returned to the
time in your life that you last woke up. Your mind, however, will retain the
memories of these deaths and all of the events leading up to them, including the
death itself. That’s why you most likely experience fleeting feelings of pain
and fear when you ‘wake up’ from each death,” Theodore explained meticulously.
Kaje raised an eyebrow. “You’re really forthcoming with this
stuff,” Kaje observed as Theodore turned a corner.
Theodore shrugged.
“And besides,” Theodore continued, “my father never made me swear to
keep secrets from you. He knew you’d have to learn of your gift eventually,” he
explained.
“Your father? Timothy?” Kaje inquired.
“Yes,” confirmed Theodore. Kaje put on a thoughtful expression,
slightly surprised by this new bit of information.
Kaje had no further questions. They pulled onto the shoulder near
the alley behind Publics. Kaje uncocked the weapon he held and then proceeded
to use it to smash Theodore in the back of the head without warning. Theodore
slumped unconscious in his chair, and Kaje got out and walked into the dark
passage.
Within he could vaguely make out three figures. “Kaje!” John
called.
“Quiet, you!” came the familiar voice of Timothy. Kaje saw one of
the figures strike the other, and a pained exclamation from John followed suit.
Kaje grimaced.
“Leave him alone!” Kaje commanded into the darkness. As he
approached, the figures’ faces came into view. Timothy stood holding John by
the back of the shirt, and Roger stood to Timothy’s other side, hands folded in
front of him, looking straight forward at Kaje.
“Don’t take another step,” Timothy ordered, “or I’ll kill him.”
Kaje looked harder and saw that Timothy held a gun to John’s head. He pressed
it into John’s skull, causing John to whine.
Kaje paused, then laughed. “Stupid old man. I have heard that
threat so many times that it means nothing. You see, I’ve got it figured out,
and this is the time I win,” Kaje bluffed.
“You’re lying,” Timothy said to Kaje. “We wouldn’t kill you. We
know better. This is the first time we’ve met in this alley. Get him, Roger.”
Roger raised his arms as if to cast some sort of spell, but Kaje put
the barrel of the gun under his own chin. “Ah ah ah,” he said in a reprimanding
tone, waggling his finger in front of him. “This wouldn’t be the first time I
had to do this.”
“What does it matter to us if you do?” Timothy shouted in retort,
sounding confident, yet subtly motioning for Roger to wait.
Kaje smiled. “Because this time I left your son alive,” he stated.
He paused for dramatic effect. “Force me to go through this again, and I might
not be so kind next time,” Kaje threatened.
Timothy sighed and indicated that Roger should cease his actions.
Roger lowered his arms to his sides.
Kaje began walking confidently towards them. Timothy took a step
back, dragging John with him. “Stay back!” Timothy yelled, slightly frantic.
Kaje raised his weapon and nonchalantly snapped off a shot. It hit Timothy
square in the chest and he staggered backwards, letting go of his grip on John’s
shirt. John took the opportunity to dart behind Kaje.
Timothy finally regained his footing, felt his chest and gasped. He
seemed to be more-or-less fine. Kaje was shocked, but did not show it in his
face. He had the upper hand in intimidation at the moment.
Kaje fired again. What exactly happened was unclear, but Timothy
yelped and turned his head sharply to the left, staggering backwards once more.
He clutched his brow and hissed through his clenched teeth. Kaje took another
step forward, unwavering in his rhythmic approach.
Timothy growled, then motioned for Roger to follow him. Both men
dashed off into the night. Kaje squeezed off a few more shots at their backs,
but missed every one. The men were gone.
Kaje looked to John and sighed. “Well,” he said. “Believe me now?”
John stared at Kaje in complete astonishment. No words even came
close to being formed. His lips were still. Kaje smiled, then put his hand on
John’s shoulder and led him away from the scene.
After a moment of walking, Kaje turned to John. “Hey,” Kaje began.
“Mind if I stay at your place? These guys have been at my house before.
Doesn’t seem too safe.”
John slowly glanced over to Kaje and nodded.
To Be Continued...